Cadair Cymdeithas Ceredigion

Cymdeithas Ceredigion has honoured me over the last three years by asking me to make a chair to be awarded as a prize in their Eisteddfod. The first year was for a full sized chair. Last year and this year I was asked to make a miniature chair. This is the chair I made this year and a brief description which went with it along with the translation.

Tresi Aur

Ond ai dyna’r enw? Beth am Feillion Sbaen, Coed Sbaen, Bedwen Sbaen? Mae’r enwau ‘na i gyd wedi dod o ardal De Ceredigion. Chwedl glywais i oedd i’r pren ddod i mewn i Aberaeron yn y 1860au fel “balast” mewn llongau o Sbaen, wedyn gâth ei ddefnyddio fel pyst ffensio a thyfodd. Sa i’n gwybod a ydy’r chwedl ‘na yn wir ond mae’r enwau ‘na yn cadarnhau’r cysylltiad â Sbaen. Ta beth, mae’r pren yn gysylltiedig â’r ardal a dyna un rheswm wên i’n mo’yn ei ddefnyddio. Hefyd gyda’r pren newydd tu fas â lliw mor wahanol i’r hen bren yng nghanol y bonyn wên i’n mo’yn creu cadair wahanol.

Daeth pren y gadair ‘ma o Benrhiw-pâl. Fel arfer erbyn i Feillion Sbaen dyfu mor fawr â hyn mae fe’n hollti yn y canol. Braf wêdd cael bonau cymaint sy heb hollti. Mae’r clawdd nawr yn tyfu yn ôl yn braf a bydd y ffaith ei bod hi wedi cael ei thorri lawr neu “coppiced” yn dueddol o gryfhau’r coed.

Rwy wedi sgrifennu mwy am Feillion Sbaen (ond yn Saesneg) ar fy “blog” ar fy ngwefan https://roni-roberts.com/laburnum-in-ceredigion/.

Golden Chain.

But is that the name? What about Spanish Clover, Spanish Wood, Spanish Birch? These names all come form South Ceredigion. The story I heard was that the wood came into Aberaeron in the 1860s as ballast in ships from Spain, then were used as fencing posts and took root. I don’t know if the story is true but those names confirm a connection with Spain. Anyway, the wood is very much a part of this area and that was one reason I wanted to use it. Also with the sapwood being such a different colour from the heartwood I was able to make an unusual chair.

The wood for this chair came from Penrhiw-pâl. Usually by the time Laburnum has grown this large it has cracked in the centre (a star shake). It was wonderful to have trunks this size that weren’t split. The hedge is now growing back and the fact it has been coppiced will help it grow back stronger.

Read more about the making of the chair here and about laburnum in Ceredigion here.