Ebony Carvings

Ebony is an exceptionally hard and beautiful black wood. It is also a very dense. In Africa it is also known as “Mpingo”. Ebony wood is found in Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. It is one of the most intensely black woods known, which combined with its very high density, fine texture, and the ability to polish it very smoothly, has made it very valuable. In fact it is one of the most expensive woods.

The Makonde tribe in Tanzania (East Africa) uses this wood to make carvings, known as “Makonde carvings”. Their artistic output is both traditional and contemporary.

Ebony wood is subject to drying and cracking, just like any other type of wood.

All the carvings below are from Tanzania and made from Ebony Wood.