WT #230, Tray from Afzelia with crushed Malachite and Cabochon inlay.

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  • Regular price $20,000.00


Tray from Cambodian Afzelia Xylocarpa (locally called Beng Tree), 36” diameter with a buffed walnut oil, Osmo, and Nano N3 Ceramic coating finish.  The tray has 51 semiprecious mineral cabochons inlaid around the perimeter.  The cabochons include many varieties of jasper, agate, petrified woods, 130+ million year old dinosaur gem bone, and many other unusual mineral specimens.  I purchased the Afzelia slab I used for this piece from someone locally who had purchased the piece many years ago and finally decided to sell it.  He told me it was quite rare and upon further research I discovered that it is indeed extremely rare and since about 2005 only small pieces a matter of inches long can be purchased … primarily for use by pen makers and knife makers for handle scales.  Specimens this large literally no longer exist on the market and the tree is listed as critically endangered. It is sad that the resource was mismanaged and is now endangered.  There are many contributing causes for this.   I suspect that this piece had been harvested over 25 years ago and while I will not purchase any more Afzelia on the wood market in the future I am glad I could at least preserve this specimen largely in it’s entirety.