Blackwood, also generally known as ebony, is an endemic wood species from Sulawesi that has been traded for the reason that 18th century. This plant has the scientific name Diospyros celebica Bakh and is taken into account a luxury wood from Indonesia.
Ebony was first used to make cabinets, but later became a trend in Europe, especially in the course of the Enlightenment. Demand skyrocketed as countries corresponding to France and the Netherlands relied on the natural resources of their colonies for this luxury wood.
The name “celebica” for ebony wood comes from the word “Celebes” (Sulawesi). In Sulawesi, this wood may be present in the Kabupaten Poso, Donggala and Parigi regions. Ebony wood is very valued for its beautiful grain, and the heartwood is black with red streaks.
Globally renowned Sulawesi Blackwood
Sulawesi blackwood is understood internationally as Macassar ebony, Coromandel ebony, striped ebony or black ebony. In Indonesia, additionally it is generally known as toetandu, sora, kayu lotong and kayu maitong. This wood is of outstanding quality and is used to provide expensive furniture, sculptures, carvings, musical instruments and jewellery boxes.
This ebony wood may be considered “zero waste” because every a part of its production may be reused. Its sawdust may even be used to dry other wet wood, which is crucial resulting from export requirements regarding dryness levels. The price of ebony can also be influenced by its dryness; the drier and fewer humid it’s, the upper its price.
The growth of those trees could be very slow, but this makes them strong and dense. Ebony trees may be harvested after 80-100 years of growth. The highest quality ebony wood is usually obtained when the tree falls naturally. If ebony trees are harvested too young, their color is not going to be as dark and the standard shall be lower.
The Central Sulawesi government allows the trade of ebony in quantities of as much as 4,200 cubic meters for the regional handicraft industry.
The reference price for ebony wood is roughly Rp 6 million per tonne, in keeping with regulations of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, while market prices range from Rp 3 to 7 million per cubic meter, depending on quality.
Threat of extinction
Unfortunately, ebony is now rare in Sulawesi’s forests resulting from illegal logging, each organized and individual. The slow growth of wood, only 0.5-1 cm per yr, cannot sustain with the growing market demand.
One report states that ebony in Sulawesi was almost extinct by the late Nineteen Thirties. According to the each day “Ebony trade and exploitation in Central Sulawesi in the course of the colonial period: a preliminary review (2023), indiscriminate logging also threatens the existence of ebony in Poso.
According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), ebony is classed as a vulnerable species (VU AL cont.), with a high risk of extinction. The estimated amount of ebony in Central Sulawesi in 2003 was only about 3.16 million cubic meters.
