In making the Specular water sculpture we bring together a range of traditional crafts, some of which are rare and in decline in the UK. The bowl and flute are shaped through a process called spinning, a specialist technique that’s mesmerising to watch. Only a handful of companies in the UK still offer this manual operation, with the industry slowly fading.

Each Specular begins with a stainless steel hemisphere and a solid bronze flute. These are transported across the country for surface preparation, followed by another specialist team who apply real bronze to the outside of the bowl and a black finish to the inside, both fine art processes in their own right. The piece then arrives at Tills Innovations, where we take over.

Using patination fluids and a slow, careful technique, we transform each sculpture by hand, creating a finish that’s unique to every Specular.

And the journey doesn’t end there. Once installed, the Specular continues to age and evolve, shaped by your landscape, the seasons and time itself.