This is a slightly modified shaker candle stand, after the Hancock pattern, made of spalted cherry with an oil and shellac finish.  

The wood, from a tree in El Dorado County, CA, had been down and dried in the log about ten years when I got a few small pieces.  I promptly resawed it, saw the figure, and bookmatched and edge-jointed pieces to make panels large enough to make the top and legs.  The post is made out of the crack-free stable center of a log just barely large enough for it.

The legs are joined to the post with hand-cut sliding dovetails.  I know that router jigs are more accurate, but hand-cut requires less setup, and I enjoy the process.