What wood did I turn this from?

[DAVE BADKIN]

Does anyone know what timber this is? I suspect it may be a type of grass tree or palm as it has hollow straw like grain running through it. I turned it from a roughly carved cat statute given to my wife a long time ago. She never liked it and eventually through it out, so I plucked it from the dustbin and turned this form I then sprayed it with Maylands Ebonising Lacquer before rubbing  some gold acrylic paint into the open straw like grain that is present in whatever timber this is and finished it with a couple of cotes of lacquer. It stands 80mm tall and 60mm at it’s widest. All c&c welcomed

[Bryan Milham]

The grain pattern in the lower image looks a bit Iroko(ish) but from your description I'd suggest a Palm wood. Any idea where in the world it was originally purchased from?

Grass Tree Root is a possibility but too expensive and useful as an export for it to be carved into something like you describe.

But I'm prepared to be corrected by the more knowledgeable.

[Bryan Milham]

Sorry, forgot to say - what a stunning effect you've created.

[DAVE BADKIN]

Thanks Mr Fly, the original form was that of a cat carved from a piece of lumber 4x4x14 inches and may have been produced by machine it was shipped to the UK in mass numbers and sold by a national discount store. it has been suggested on another website that it may well be red palm.

[John D Smith]

Hi Dave,I go along with Grass Tree Root but it seems very light in colour to any I have turned.Regards John

[Andy Coates]

Nope not Blackboy (grass tree root).

But is a palm of one type or other. It's dirt cheap in Asia and carves easily. Large hollow fibres give it away. Could be red palm but it doesn't much matter. Palm covers it.

[hughie]

Without knowing the origin its pretty well impossible to any sort of answer. 'Palm' covers a vast amount possible trees etc.
 But I agree its not Black Boy, its most likely a common or generic palm cut down for the mass market somewhere is South East Asia.