Teak (Jati)

 

 

More commonly known as teak wood, it originates from Tectona grandis. Teak is native to Asia and are found in abundance in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Borneo. In Indonesia, where Home Treasures’ materials originate, teak was introduced as a plantation specifically for the purposes of making furniture and other wooden products. It does not come from Indonesia’s rainforests. Hence, it is considered a sustainable resource and the harvesting of teak in this part of the world is considered to be eco-friendly. The teak tree grows to a height of  150 feet with  a straight solid trunk and matures after about 40 years. Teak wood possesses a beautiful golden to dark brown color but it also comes in a reddish brown tone. It has a straight grain and contains natural oil that adds to its natural appearance and resistance to elemental exposures. Therefore, teak wood is the favored for furniture and boat building. Its medium density and high toughness lends to an easier time for artisans to carve. Finished carvings are extremely durable and most attractive left in its natural state.

 

 

 

Mahogany

 

 

Better known as the Myroxylon Balsamum in the scientific community, Mahogany is widely distributed in South America spanning from southern Mexico through Central America and all the way down to Argentina. The very fine and even texture, along with its striped figuring, complements the attractive natural dark to reddish brown color. Its grains are typically interlocked. One a freshly cut surface, it has a medium to high gloss in addition to emitting a pleasant spicy scent. In addition to being recognized as a beautiful wood, Mahogany is more well known for its strength. It has excellent durability and toughness. It sands beautifully to a high natural polish and shine. Therefore, Mahogany is generally a prized materials to use for furniture, boat/yacht building and high end decorative products only. In recent years, Mahogany has also been used in wood flooring as well as an active ingredient in some perfume.

 

 

 

 

 

Chinaberry

 

 

Chinaberry’s formal name is Melia Azedarach. It is a medium density hardwood and coarsely textured. Due to this texture, chinaberry wood carvings are finished with paints or partially painted. However, if it is properly finished, this wood can be quite smooth and the visibly irregular patterns will enhance its appeal. Chinaberry wood comes in a natural ran and light yellow color.

 

 

 

 

 

Jackfruit

 

 

Jackfruit wood is also widely known as “Ketewel” in Bali or “Nangka”, which translates to Jackfruit  in Indonesia. It is a strong, hard and durable woods suitable for carving sculptures, musical items and general carpentry use. With its deeply interlocked grain, it resists cracking under exposures to the elements. It naturally comes in lemon yellow however, it tends to darken to a light brown tone with age. It grows well especially as a shade tree and for its abundance fruit yields that many enjoy.

 

 

Mango Wood

 

Mangifera Indica Anacardiaceae, or simply Mango tree, has some wonderful qualities. First of all, it bears abundance fruits that enjoyed by many. Mango fruits turn yellow, sweet and soft when ripe compared to its crunchy, slighly green and typically sour younger siblings. When it reaches 20-30 years old, mango fruit yield and quality drops. As a result, mango wood is also harvested for its unique quality. Tree sections are left to dry for a period of time before being cut into manageable pieces for artisans to work with. Resulting dried wood are dried in a kiln before being crafted into various designs and color finishes. Its deep and generally rich color lends itself naturally to a contemporary feel. Mango wood can be splash-proof to water when waxed, further enhances its usability and durability.

 

 

Albesia (Belalu)

Used by famous master artist Kompiang in our Birds of Bali collection 

 

Albesia wood is a pretty common wood and is native from India to the Philippines. It’s also spelled Albecia by many and its formal scientific name is Ablizia Falcata. It is typically white in color however, certain regions may produce a light brown coloration at the heart. Due to its irregular grain, Albesia is usually used for simple and inexpensive paintedwood carvings.

 

 

 

 

 

Satin or Crocodile Wood

 

 

Scientifically known as the Zanthoxylum Rhetsa, crocodile wood is native to the lowlands from India to the Philippines. The name originates from Indonesia which is commonly known as “Panggal Buaya” to the locals. This literally translates to “crocodile teeth” due to its many knobby, tooth shaped protrusions that cover the trunk of the tree. Crocodile wood is usually white in color with occasional dark narrow stripes and a light purple center. Due to its white and smooth appearance, it has been likened to ivory and hence, known to many also as the Ivory of Woods. Generally, the older the tree gets, the darker is its color. Crocodile wood possess straight grain and medium hardness making it easy to carve and polished to a beautiful natural finished condition.

 

 

 

 

Raintree (Suar)

 

Rain tree or scientifically known as Samanea Saman, is widely traveled. Also known as “Suwar” or “Suar” in Indonesia, rain tree is a native of South America but dispersed through out the tropics stretching from Asia, Africa, etc for at least a hundred years. Rain tree is a very hard wood that comes in a delicately natural brown color. it also has a straight grain and rather coarse texture which makes it easy to carve. It’s huge trunks found in mature trees make it a likely candidate for creating large wood carvings. Because of its fast-growing traits and easily replaceable, rain tree wood is the favored wood for importers outside of the tropics. Its crisscrossed interlocking grain eliminates cracking due tin dryer environment. In addition, rain tree can be finished to a fairly high gloss to further bring out its beautiful natural brown appearance.

 

 

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