Over 20 years ago, I designed and made a wooden American flag out of Tiger Maple.

more photos here

The flag is 31” × 17” × 5/8”, made of 64 individual components: milled red and white stripes and laser cut stars in a blue field, the red and blue colors achieved using aniline dyes. (The flags are also available in 4”-7” frames made of Tiger Maple or Cherry wood. They can be personalized with plaques and laser-cut logos in the corners of frames, and can be made with different fields of blue—from the original 13-stars to a layout in the geographic shape of the country.)

flag origins

In 1991, several things came together to lead to the creation of the Tiger Maple American Flag. I was working on a job involving Oak and red aniline dye. I saw how powerfully the dye brought out the grain of the Oak. At the same time, I was working on a job involving Tiger Maple. It was natural to test the red dye on the Tiger Maple. The dramatic stripes of carefully selected Tiger Maple jump out and give the impression of waves. Being in the midst of the Gulf War also helped me see that Tiger Maple would make a beautiful flag.

I made up the first of a series of Tiger Maple flags, eventually leading to the design I have today: milled stripes and a blue field of individually laser-cut stars, a 64-component solid wood piece.

where the flag is now

Like my other work, my Tiger Maple American Flag has found a home in a variety of settings, including the offices of our elected leaders, a military base, a school, and the private residences and executive offices of art and flag lovers.

In 2004, when the Democrat National Convention was held in Boston, the late U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Ted Kennedy presented the flag to the late Boston city Mayor Tom Menino.

The flag lived thereafter in his office until he finished his final term at the beginning of 2014.

Most recently, it was presented to Victoria Kennedy by the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.