KAURI.
LORD OF THE FOREST
FROM THE HEART OF THE EARTH,
A 50,000 YEAR MILLENARY WOOD
The Kauri (Agathis Australis) is a kind of conifer living only in the sub-tropical climates of New Zealand. The first of them appeared during the Jurassic period about 190/135 million years ago. They are the world’s biggest trees in terms of trunk volume and have a height of up to 70 meters and a diameter of up to 9. Unfortunately many of their forests were felled by English colonists on arrival to obtain timber or land for farming. All the remaining trees are now under governmental and legal protection and their cut is strictly forbidden. The biggest surviving Kauri is the ‘Tane Mahuta’ or ‘Lord Of The Forest’ in the Maori language.
THE ORIGIN
About 50.000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, a series of unexplained cataclysms submerged whole forests of kauris in water and mud. Digging the soil veritable “wood mines” are found; the exceptionality is that, although beeing buried underground for thousands of years, these logs are perfectly preserved and have the same quality as timber just cut. The specific qualities of the mud and the absolute lack of oxygen exempted these plants, trapped in the swamps for 30/40/50 thousand years, from the chemical processes of decomposition and petrification, letting them remain intact to the present day.
KAURI COLLECTION
Riva 1920 was able to perfectly interpret this amazing material, which thanks to the company expertise is then transformed into tables that are veritable art pieces made available by the nature. The company know-how and the artisan work are able to make original and unique pieces from simple raw slabs, extraordinary products that stand out and impress thanks to their features. The table is an important piece of the house, it is an essential piece of furniture and its use isn’t only practical; around the table we live some of the most important emotions of our life, that’s why we use the wood, a warm, alive, true and authentic material. A wooden table represents a sensory experience involving several senses: its imperfections and knots the sense of touch, its scent gives off in the air, its colours and grain please the sight. Kauri tables are conceived for indoor use. For outdoor use it is strongly recommended to choose slabs without addition of resin; furthermore, the ordinary maintenance is to be done every year. The products are made from completely natural wood, hand-finished without the addition of any treatment. Movements, cracks and changes in the appearance of the wood are intrinsic characteristics of these items and result from the natural settlement and diverse environmental conditions.
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