hen David West inherited the beautiful Brazilian Rosewood veneers, it was as if he had been handed a long-lost masterpiece. He knew this had to be the last remaining example of this exceptional wood – possibly in the world.
The brilliantly coloured timbers had been harvested from mature trees. It was, quite simply, the finest wood he had ever seen: wood whose quality was beyond compare. David vowed there and then to create furniture that would do full justice to its unmistakable beauty.
By drawing on techniques originally honed by Chippendale, using the finest quality silver and spending over 110 hours handcrafting each Heritage Box as an individual masterpiece, he has achieved this aim.
With its striking colour and grain, Brazilian Rosewood has for centuries been regarded as one of the world’s most desirable woods.
The main body of the Heritage Box is actually constructed from Sonokelin, a strictly managed Rosewood. The Brazilian Rosewood veneers that encase this timber are all between 70 and 100 years old. The consequential colours are brilliant – ranging from bright reds, through oranges, to tawny purples with intricate black veining.
The time intensive French-polishing is then undertaken to ensure that these astonishing colours are displayed in their fullest glory.
Due to the extreme rarity of the timber, each box must be accompanied by its own, individual, CITES licence. This licence is issued exclusively from the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service of the United Kingdom’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.