Haitian Mahogany Bowl

A mid-century wooden bowl turned from West Indian mahogany. Swietenia mahagoni is native to the western Caribbean, including Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, and even south Florida. The tree is known as "kajou peyi" in Haiti, where it is important both economically and culturally. In the wild, it prefers to grow on dry, rocky sites where other species falter. However, most wood comes from plantations. Farmers often plant the mahogany around the boundaries of their gardens, or adjacent to their homes, where it provides welcome shade. Harvested, the wood is used architecturally, and for furniture-making, carving, and turning. The smaller branches and scraps are converted into charcoal, still an important source of cooking fuel in Haiti. Concoctions of the leaves and bark are also used as medicine throughout the Caribbean. West Indian mahogany hybridizes easily with the larger Honduras mahogany (S. macrophylla), but the native species is preferred for its durability and fine grain.