Humility woodworking??

Whoever built my staircase was the most insanely talented woodworking wizard west of Seneca Falls. Like most of the wood structures in my house, it is put together with some mystical round peg system:




(Between the arrows is a SINGLE PIECE OF WOOD!)

All these little pieces were cut so that the design could continue around the curves.

It's all just crazy shit.

So after all the time, effort and precise measurements needed to create this giant work of art....what is up with this??

This disjointed piece is what you see, front and center, as you walk down the stairs. Could this possibly be an unintentional mistake? I suppose our woodworking wizard could have gotten lazy or bored, or their spouse became sick of the project and started nagging for completion. But that is just not romantic enough for me.

In quilting lore, there is talk of a "humility block" - a part of the quilt where the colors are reversed, or a block is turned sideways as an intentional error. The reasons for humility blocks range from superstitious to religious, but the point is a reminder that we aren't perfect.

Unfortunately, the idea of humility blocks is newer than my house...but this is the story I'm going with: an wicked cool, self-confident woodworking master passing along a useful nugget of intelligence - relax, have fun, don't take yourself too seriously.

Any other ideas??


(You can see the disconnect on the second loop from the left)