Carved from the ancient forests of Aotearoa.
Unique boards, cases and objects handcrafted in Aotearoa from old-growth native timber recovered and milled by NZ Native Riverwood. Each log has its own history, and no two pieces are alike.
THE MATERIAL
No two logs have the same story.
Old-growth
These trees stood in Aotearoa's ancient native forests for generations. They varied in species, size and age, and no one can know every detail of where they stood.
Lost to the rivers
Some were felled during the logging era of the 1800s and early 1900s. Others fell naturally, long before. Each encountered different conditions beneath the water.
Individual by nature
Each tree developed its own grain and figure as it grew. After falling, differences in river conditions, sediment, minerals and time underwater could alter its colour and surface character. Every recovered log is distinct.
AVAILABLE NOW
Every piece is the only one.
When it sells, I make something different — not another one.
ARTIST SERIES
An ongoing series by Sean Philpott
Te Rapu Tūrangawaewae
The Search for a Place to Stand
Read the series statement
1 of 1
Duality - River Kahikatea Inlaid Board
$600.00 NZD
1 of 1
Inlaid River Kauri 14mm & 10mm slide/quartz display
$350.00 NZD
1 of 1
River Totara 555 Geometric Inlaid Board
$650.00 NZD
1 of 1
Sacred Balance - Watercolour River Matai Inlaid Board
$650.00 NZD
1 of 1
Watercolour River Matai Inlaid board
$600.00 NZD
THE MAKER
Fourteen years a gymnast. Ten years a builder. Now I make these.
I'm Sean. I grew up in the Waitākere Ranges, spent my childhood outdoors and my youth training as a gymnast — fourteen years of repeating small movements until they were exact. After my mother died in 2016, I rode 1,200 kilometres down the West Coast alone, and came back knowing what I wanted to make with my hands. This is it.
COMMISSIONS
The best pieces are never in stock.
Most of my work is made once and gone. If you want something built for you — a board, a tray, a collector case — I take a small number of commissions, and you'll get a timelapse of your piece being made from the first cut to the final coat of oil.
Commission a piece