Chinlone Garden Orbs
Artist Statement from Christopher Thomson
In 1954 my political scientist father returned from a year in Burma with three wicker chinlone balls. I was six years old. They fascinated me. I enjoyed looking at them almost as much as kicking them.
These orbs are spherical projections of an icosiedodecahedron, the Archimedean Solid composed of 20 equilateral triangles and 12 regular pentagons. I am not alone with my fascination. Though Archimedes's original treatise was lost, all 12 of his solids were rediscovered by renaissance mathematicians and artists. More recently Buckminster Fuller studied these 6 great circles each divided by the others into ten equal arcs.
Orbs are powder coated to withstand environmental elements with a clear UV protective finish.
- Christopher Thomson
Installation
Stands are available for purchase, although they are not a requirement. Many of our customers place their Chinlone Orbs directly on the ground if the surface is level enough.
Stand for 25" Chinlone Orb $1,300
Stand for 38" Chinlone Orb $1,500
Stand for 51" Chinlone Orb $1,700
Stand for 76" Chinlone Orb $2,400