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Marquetry
from Madagascar
© 1999-2008 Karl Lehmann
Click on
any image for a closer view and a description.
Beautifully crafted of palisandre (a rosewood native
to Madagascar), this fine woodwork is inlaid with indigenous hardwood
veneers to
create scenes from Malagasy village life. The colors are all natural; no stains,
dyes or paint are used. The work is then finished with wax.
Please note that each item is individually hand crafted; the
dimensions are standard but each scene depicted is unique.
We believe that creating a market for this work will give the
Malagasy people an alternative to unsustainable agriculture and an incentive to
protect what little is left of their magnificent forests (eighty percent of
Madagascar's unique forests have already been lost to slash-and-burn
agriculture; vast tracts of land now lie barren and nearly sterile). This type
of work requires small quantities of wood from numerous species of trees; the
forest must be kept intact to sustain them. It also creates quality employment.
Given this alternative, the Malagasy people may begin to view their forests as a
valuable resource to be maintained rather than just an obstacle to planting.
If the remaining forests can be preserved they will continue to
sustain some of the most unusual and diverse wildlife on earth.
For a look at some of Madagascar's incredible wildlife, check out
the Madagascar Exhibits
in our Gallery of Photography.
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