Miniatures from
Exotic Tropical Woods
Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)
Cocobolo, a native
of Panama, is a very dense, durable tropical wood whose heartwood is
deep red-brown in color with beautiful figuring of lighter and darker
lines. It gives off a faint
pleasant spicy aroma when being worked, but is otherwise odorless.
Because of its high oil content and dense structure,
cocobolo does not require a finish for protection. Therefore, these
pieces are finished only with a light coat of hard, colorless (neutral)
wax.
Caution: The rims on these vases
are very delicate and, due to the weight of the vase, can break if dropped!
Kempas, also known as Impas
or Mengris, is the wood from a large tree native to Maylasia and Indonesia.
The moderately dense wood is brick red when freshly cut, but ages
to deep orange-red with streaks of yellow (due to the pore structure).
On a cross-sectional surface these pores are prominent and give curved
surfaces the appearance of a ripe, deep red strawberry. This particular
sample was discovered as a piece of driftwood on the beach at Assateague
Island, Virginia, probably blown overboard from a passing freighter.
Identification was difficult, but worth the effort, as this wood was
just too beautiful to pass up. These pieces were finished with a light
coat of tung oil varnish, topped by a coat of hard, colorless (neutral)
wax.
Caution: The rims on these vases are very
delicate and, due to the weight of the vase, can break if dropped!
