You never can tell…

When an editor asked me to write about an upcoming sale of furniture designed by Wharton Esherick, I thought it would be a throw-away story. I had never heard of Esherick. I had no idea what kind of work he did. And, to be honest, I wasn’t overly interested. Furniture isn’t a passion of mine.

Then I started reporting the piece, and I found myself caught up in the quiet life of this master craftsman and his amazing functional art. Esherick, who died in 1970, hand carved many of these works in his studio outside Philadelphia. He has influenced a generation of craftspeople.

Most of the pieces being sold range from $7,500 to $100,000. Some cost even more. I don’t see any Esherick in my home anytime in the future, but I enjoyed learning about him and his work.