Yes, the bowl is maple; simple, strong, utilitarian, but made of a complex material built slowly over a long time (like all good relationships should be) is what i told them.
I used a lathe up the street that belongs to a retired math professor, as mine is in storage.
I am off to Germany today...
No to Empress Tree and Red Horse Chestnut is a great guess,
but in all fairness, it is not hardy in zone 7, and we Penn-Del Chapter ISA members don't get to see it unless we head to Arizona or California...
... saw a lot of them riding bicycles around LA with a tree friend while there
Did anyone guess Q. laurifolia?... not sure they get that large...
hmm, "35 - 80 feet, rarely to 130 ft"... possible, and this sounds promising:
"of hybrid origin having been derived from willow oak (Quercus phellos) and water oak (Quercus nigra)"