Bubinga
(African Rosewood)
In the swamps and along the jungle waterways of Gabon in Equatorial
Africa, there grows a giant of a tree. Towering at 130' or more, it
yields mostly defect-free logs 6' in diameter and up to 70' long. Such
a log can weigh as much as 10 tons, so loggers must await the seasonal
rains to float the wood to port.
It regularly appeared in French Renaissance furniture of the 1700s,
when this rich reddish wood was named bois de roe d'Afrique (African
rosewood) because it was thought to be a type of rosewood.
Bubinga - A large tree which
comes from the West African area of the world, some harvested trees are
said to weigh as much as ten tons. Very heavy and dense, It exhibits
rich red tones and a very even grain pattern.
The
bubinga
tree eaches a height of 130 to 150 ft; boles are straight and
cylindrical to 70 ft, sometimes fluted or buttressed; trunk diameters 3
to 6 ft.
A water loving tree, it is mostly found in swamps or by a lake.
Bubinga trees grow quite large due to the abundance of water in the
locations where they grow. It isn't unusual to see bubinga trees
growing to 150 feet or more and have a trunk that is over 5 feet in
diameter.
Another great feature of bubinga is its natural resistance to rot and
insects.
Primary uses for bubinga
* fine furniture
* custom millwork
* veneer / inlays
* carving
* turning
Botanical
Name: Guibourtia demeusei of the family Leguminosae. Other
species
called bubinga include Guibourtia pellegriniana and Guibourtia
tessmannii.
Common
Names: Essingang (Cameroon), Ovang, Kevazingo (Gabon), Waka
(Zaire), also known
as Akume, Bingbinga, Buvenga or
African Rosewood (although it is not a true rosewood). The French call
it Bois de Roe d'Afrique.
Distribution: The species in this group are found in Equatorial
Africa from Southeast Nigeria, through Cameroon and Gabon to the Congo
region. Occur in swampy or periodically inundated forests, also near
river or lakeshores.
Bubinga is a hard, heavy wood with characteristics similar to the
rosewoods. Color and density varies by species, but the heartwood is
typically medium reddish brown or purplish brown with darker veining.
Relatively hard and dense; can be machined smoothly; takes a fine
finish.
The sapwood is narrow and white in colour, the heartwood is a rich pink
- red, turning red - brown with age, streaked with mauve to purplish
markings. It is a hard and heavy wood considered durable.
Color varies greatly in coloration and grain patterns, but heartwood
generally is a medium red-brown with lighter red to purple veins and
will naturally darken with age - polishes well, resulting in a highly
lustrous surface.
Kevazingo
Logs where
the grain is slightly irregular are usually rotary cut into veneers by
peeling, which produces a wild, swirling, veined figure that is quite
unique and very attractive. This veneer does not look at all like the
veneer yielded by any other cutting method on this species (or any
other species for that matter!). When cut this way, this species is
referred to as Kevazingo. This cut is widely used and highly prized for
its beauty and character.
European woodworkers probably know little of the rugged origins of one
of their favorite veneers. What they do know, though, is that the
rotary-cut veneer that they call kevazingo has a wonderful swirling
figure that's equally eye-catching as paneling or cabinetry.
Another popular name for Kevazingo is "waterfall bubinga," describing
the pattern of a waterfall, and sometimes Kevazingo has a pommele
figure.
An important tree is the Bubinga.
There are no other trees in the area surrounding a Bubinga due to its
mystical powers.
Villagers regard their local Bubingas as sacred places, and believe
that the trees contain the spirits of their ancestors. The Bantu people
sit under the tree to solve problems.
