The Black Tulip

Beck can build a house but prefers to make much smaller things like objects resembling traditional wooden toys, cuckoo clocks, and birdhouses. They are also made traditionally, with a set of antique German hand tools. Creating these charmingly surreal, flawlessly executed, yet deceptively simple vignettes involves nothing less than dovetail joints, German fretwork, and lathed Russian-type bergs. “Working this way,” Beck explains, “slows you down and makes you much more aware of the wood, and how things are going to fit together.” -Melissa E. Feldman. Black Tulip refers to Dutch Tulip Mania from the mid-1600’s.