19/03/2024
Did you know that there's this piece of timber hanging on a wall as you enter Domus via the side door?
It is called Tasmanian Huon Pine.
I got part of its root back in 2017 in Australia.
Next time you're at Domus, take a pic with it.
It is quite a unique piece of art.
For starters Huon Pine only grows in the wet, temperate rainforests of South West Tasmania โ on the whole planet! โLagarostrobus frankliniiโ (its proper name) is not actually a pine and is the only member of its family, so a pretty unique tree which grows extremely slowly, averaging just 1 millimetre in girth per year. They can grow to be 2,500 years old which means some of them started life BC! Add to this the fact that they do not start to reproduce until 600 to 800 years of age and you have a very special tree whose timber also has remarkable properties. The timber has a very high oil content, methyl eugenol to be precise, which renders it impervious to insects, waterproof, and imbues it with its characteristic sappy perfume. The high oil content also means the timber can be bent, shaped, worked and sculpted without splitting and finishes to a superb, fine lustre. Pale straw coloured when first cut, it ages to a rich honey gold. Woodworkers love it!
