Miniatures from Exotic
Tropical Woods
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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.
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!
