A small moving sculpture with a timeless message, Love & Peace is a handcrafted wooden automaton designed and made in my workshop near Cambridge, England.
This charming limited edition piece features a white dove carrying an olive leaf, symbolising hope, harmony, and goodwill. As the handle is gently turned, the dove glides from side to side across its curved American cherry wood plinth, rotating gracefully at each end to continue its journey. The movement is smooth, engaging, and quietly mesmerising.
I am making this automaton in a small limited series of just 12 pieces, making it a distinctive object to own or give. It is carefully made from American cherry wood, with an acrylic frame that reveals the beautifully engineered cherry wood mechanism within. Finished with a rotating walnut crank handle. 
CNC machining and laser cutting are used where they enhance precision, while every piece is individually hand-finished to a high standard.
Designed from raw materials and built entirely in-house, this is a thoughtful blend of craftsmanship, design, and mechanical ingenuity. Created for lasting enjoyment, the mechanism is robust, reliable, and intended to bring pleasure for many years to come.
A meaningful gift for weddings, anniversaries, new homes, or moments of celebration, and a delightful addition to any collection of automata or handcrafted objects.
Love & Peace is numbered, signed and accompanied by a numbered and signed provenance certificate.
Limited Series: 12 pieces Materials: American cherry wood, acrylic Height: 12 cm Width: 8 cm Made in England
Interested in acquiring this limited series artwork?
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Materials & Construction

This automaton is constructed primarily from American cherry, selected both for its warm colour and for its fine, even grain, which allows precise machining and clean detailing of mechanical components.

The frame incorporates clear acrylic side panels, providing visual access to the mechanism and allowing the movement to be read as part of the piece rather than concealed within it.

The crank handle is turned from walnut, offering a subtle contrast in tone and a tactile point of interaction, while brass is used throughout for axles and key moving elements, contributing both durability and a measured visual weight within the mechanism.

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Figure Construction

The dove is carved from American cherry and contains an internal brass mechanism that enables its rotational movement.

To achieve the form, the figure begins as two CNC-cut halves, allowing accurate internal cavities for the gimbal and counter weight to be inserted. These are then assembled and hand-shaped to refine the external form, softening the geometry and introducing subtle variation.

This combination of precision cutting and hand finishing allows the internal engineering and external character to be developed together.

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Mechanism & Process

Components are developed using a combination of computer-aided design and precision cutting processes, including CNC machining and laser cutting where appropriate, particularly for elements requiring repeatable accuracy.

Following this, each piece is assembled, adjusted, and tuned by hand.

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Finish

All painted surfaces are prepared with artists’ gesso, followed by acrylic paint and sealed with multiple coats of acrylic lacquer.

A combination of gloss and matte finishes is used to differentiate elements and enhance both durability and visual clarity.

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