I decided to take a break from metallic colors for a while and do some piercing while staying with the Oriental/Asian theme Ive been working with. The base was branded but I added a second brand to the pattern Ive been using. I made a third brand reflecting the outline of a Gingko tree leaf and applied it to the center ring and lid in a random orientation. The lid handle also has a Gingko brand. The center ring of the base, lid ring and lid handle were then textured around the Gingko leaves.
The lid demanded a great deal of time. It had to be turned thick enough to support the inside lip, beads and texturing on the outside ring yet be consistently thin (1/16) for the pierced section and thick again for the beaded base for the handle. After a test piece I found using an inside and outside template worked best to insure the lid would meet these requirements. After turning the lid I branded the Gingko leaves and hand burned the pattern inside the outline. I then pierced around the leaves in a random pattern. The branded and textured sections were finished in black and the rest was lightly stained and the entire piece was then sealed.
Your comments and critiques are welcomed.