Mango Wood comes from the same kind of tree (Mangifera spp.) as the popular tropical fruit. It is widespread around South East Asia - including Thailand - with the widest variety of species found in Malaysia. Mango trees can reach a height of up to 80-100 ft with a trunk diameter of around 3 to 4 ft.

The wood at the centre of the tree - the heartwood - can be pinkish, light or dark brown, or golden with occasional dark streaks running through it. It has a relatively coarse interlocking grain and is fairly easy to work with, particularly when finishing and polishing.

The heartwood is vulnerable to fungal attack, so all of our handicrafts - be they decorations, ornaments or gifts - made with this material are treated to eliminate this problem. It also withstands kiln drying very well, making it a fairly quick process to produce a workable piece of wood from a ‘green’ log.

The use of mango wood as a raw material in the production of Thai handicrafts gained momentum relatively recently as a result of two factors. Firstly, the depletion of natural teak stocks in Thailand gave rise to a need for a suitable alternative. Although softer than teak, mango wood was found to be easily carved and painted (or otherwise treated), as well as being attractive in its own right. Secondly, the promotion of Thai handicrafts by the Thai government’s OTOP (One Tambon, One Product) initiative introduced by former Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra, encouraged Thai craftsmen to experiment with new designs using mango wood, resulting in the innovative shapes, textures and uses of the material that can be seen in our online store.

The King of Thailand has always been respected for his active involvement in rural development projects over the past 60 years. Although he does not openly involve himself with specific government projects such as OTOP, it can be inferred that he broadly supports any initiative aimed at alleviating poverty and promoting Thai production techniques in a sustainable way.