Many of you may be wondering what sort of wood many of the tribal masks and carvings that we sell are made out of, here is a list of the most common types of wood.
Albesia or Belalu [Albizia falcata] … Most commonly used wood for masks, flowers, and most of the painted product. (cats, animals, boxes, etc.) …white, soft wood — sometimes brown at the center. These trees are traditionally replanted as they are cut and can grow amazingly fast.
Crocodile or Satin Wood [Zanthoxylum rhetsa] … White, relatively hard wood. Carvings usually have a very smooth finish — making them look a little like ivory. This wood is more difficult to carve and usually commands a higher price also is used mostly for smaller more detailed pieces. When a burl caused by a parasite occurs these are often carved into small animals etc. and it is referred to as ‘parasite wood’
Suar or Rain Tree [Samanea saman] … Brown, hard wood — favored wood of importers, used for furniture and often for carvings such as Dragons, Horses, Buddha’s and Yogis and many ‘one of a kind pieces’. This wood has a more expensive look when finished in a stain and brought to a high polish. If properly dried it is popular outside of the tropics because the crisscrossed, interlocking grain helps keeps the wood from cracking when moved to drier climates. Often likened to mahogany but not as rare or hard as the South American variety
Waru or Grey Hibiscus [Hibiscus tiliaceus] … White blended with light gray — the dark heartwood often makes for distinctive two-tone carvings. As this wood ages, the gray turns greenish — a very beautiful look. Grey hibiscus can be sanded to a very smooth finish. This is more expensive and usually found in unique and detailed carved pieces.
Teak … We only sell items made from the Roots that are now being recovered from previously logged areas where they were left in the ground many years ago, and are now being dug up and used for bowls and benches etc. beautiful grain and well aged stands up well to weather.
