Types of wood used in making Bali carvings
Wood carvings from Bali come in all shapes and sizes (really… all shapes and sizes) but below, I’ve listed some of the most common types of wood we use in our products along with a few examples (pictures and links to our product categories).
Also, this as a good a place as any to point out that, in fact, yes, all of the wood used in our products is purchased from Government supplies / plantations (whatever you call them). No illegal logging or deforestation is involved.
Albesia or Belalu [Albizia falcata]……white, soft wood — sometimes brown at the center, often used for in-expensive, painted wood carvings. Although heavier and more dense, it’s quite similar to the balsa wood you might have seen in model airplane kits years ago. You’ll find albesia used in our Giraffes, Elephant, Cat and Painted Wood Flower categories (to name but a few). |
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Crocodile or Satin Wood [Zanthoxylum rhetsa]……white, relatively hard wood. Carvings usually have a very smooth finish — making them look a little like ivory. The best example would be our Crocodile Wood Carvings. |
Suar or Rain Tree [Samanea saman]……brown, hard wood — favored wood of importers outside of the tropics because the crisscrossed, inter- locking grain keeps the wood from cracking when moved to drier climates. It can be finished to a fairly high gloss. So, smooth to the touch, quite heavy (nice weight), dark orange brown color — you’ll find this type of carving throughout Indonesia Export in categories such as: And, many, many more. |
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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. Have a look at our Dolphin & Whale Carvings for examples. |
I’ve run out of time (nearly midnight on Friday) but that’s enough for now — I’ll come back sometime in the next couple of days with info on Mahogany, Pine and some of the other wood types that we commonly use with out Bali and Lombok carvings.
G’night.
Sean
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