A Brush With Soane

A hair brush, carved from African Mahogany, using a CNC milling machine and finished by hand. The digital file was derived from a 3D scan of the iconic bust of Sir John Soane, by Francis Chantry in 1829. A fragment of Soane's hair was the direct inspiration for the form.

This piece was designed for THE DIGITAL SOANE project which was a collaborative project between the Soane Museum and the Royal College of Art, with the support of the Jerwood Charitable Foundation. RCA alumni were invited to apply, and a panel of judges including Heal’s Head of Fabric and Design Pia Benham; jewellery designers Lara Bohinc, and Shaun Leane and Ben Rowe from House of Shaun Leane; curator of applied arts Sarah Griffin; artist and 3D printing expert Adam Lowe; Anna Rigby, Head of Buying, Home Accessories & Gifts, Textiles and Carpets for John Lewis; and journalist and luxury expert Lucia van der Post, selected the winning designers.

A prototype piece was shown as part of The Digital Soane exhibition at The Sir John Soanes' Museum, London in November 2014, and a small edition was sold through the museum shop.