Three monkeys in gray ebony carved in Cameroon

Height: 20 cm, one ear glued back (see photos)

The three wise monkeys meant to Gandhi (Read: This Night Freedom, by Lapierre and Collins):

"I see no Evil, I hear no Evil, I speak no Evil"

Which is relatively far removed, and more empathetic, than the translation that has reached us in the West: "I see nothing, I hear nothing, I speak nothing"

Ebony wood:

Ebony is the product of the ebony tree, a tropical tree found in Africa and Asia; its color ranges from dark brown to black. It is a very hard, dense and oily wood, with a very fine grain that provides, to the touch, a sensation of great softness.

Why is ebony expensive?

These qualities make ebony a precious wood!

Considered as such, in any case, since its appearance in Europe in the 12th century where ebony was already used to make small objects (boxes, chess sets, knife handles, etc.)

It was only in the 17th century that ebony was successfully cut into very thin plates that specialized workers glued onto furniture; high-precision work that gave birth in 1743 to a new corporation, that of cabinetmakers, most of whom were grouped together at the beginning of the 19th century in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine district of Paris.

Even more refined uses also appeared at this time: In violin making (recorder, clarinet, oboe or piano keys, etc.), marquetry, cutlery, etc.

Precious wood, therefore, intended for refined objects, but also rare wood which is due to the fact that not all ebony trees produce beautiful black wood, free of whitish veins or other defects.

In fact, ebony only turns black two to three months after being cut and therefore, we do not know when we cut it whether or not it will provide "good wood". Consequently, the fact is that we can only validly use one tree out of two or three for sculpture...

All this, added to the transport difficulties to get the wood out of the forest, explains the high production cost.

Grey Ebony

Grey ebony is one of the rarest and most precious woods in the world. It seems to come from ebony trees (of the species Diospyros crassiflora) whose heartwood has not blackened. This wood is grey, sometimes veined and its grain is tight, which gives it a magnificent polish and an exceptional softness to the touch.

It is only occasionally found in the depths of certain forests of the Congo and its difficult "extraction" makes it very rare.

PS: Some cracks may appear in the sculptures: Wood is a living material!