What is Irish bog wood?
Bog wood is wood from ancient trees that were buried in peat bogs and preserved for hundreds or thousands of years. Irish bog wood usually dates to between 1 AD and 4,000 BC, but the oldest bog wood found in Ireland dates to 7,000 BC.
Is bog oak expensive?
It is a rare form of timber that is claimed to be “comparable to some of the world’s most expensive tropical hardwoods”. Some of our pieces are hundreds even thousands of years old, so every piece is a link to our rich past and as such, is handled with extreme care.
What is bog wood used for?
In addition to pipes, bog-wood has traditionally been used to construct decorative objects and items for everyday use. Today, modern drying techniques have made it possible to preserve larger planks of bog oak that are suitable for floor coverings, furniture, doors, window frames, and sculptures.
Where is bog oak in Ireland?
The bog lands of Kildare and the Bog of Allen are vast living treasure troves for this precious and most coveted material. Once recovered from the bog, bog oak is awakened from its very long slumber and given a new lease life at the hands of the artist.
Why is bog wood so expensive?
The Bog Oak is a special type of oak tree that has been buried for hundreds or thousands of years in peat bogs. This wood has been preserved from decay anaerobic and acidic bog conditions. It is rarer than diamond and without Kauri as its only rival; Bog Oak is easily the most expensive wood in the world.
What was so special about the bog oak?
Bog Oak is one of the world’s rarest and sought-after species of bog wood. Deprived of oxygen, the wood undergoes a slow morta-formation process, where water currents help bind earthly minerals and iron with tannins in the wood, giving the wood a natural, beautiful stain, unlike anything else.
Is bog oak black?
Bog Oak is the household name for oak wood that has been buried in peat bog for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years. Peat – or turf – is a build-up of decaying organic matter. The rich, dark shades of brown and intense blacks give Bog Oak its exclusive look.
Why is bog oak expensive?
Since there is such a limited supply of the wood—with Bog Oak essentially being the very early stages of fossilization—prices for this type of wood are very high. A special thanks to Steve Earis for providing the wood sample of this wood species. Related Species: Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
How strong is bog oak?
Bog oak is notable for its exceptional strength. In fact, it is so strong that it cannot be cut with regular tools. This also means that products crafted of this wood is impervious to pests, and will remain in pristine condition for centuries to come.
Is bog oak black or brown?
The extremely low oxygen conditions of the bog protect the wood from normal decay, while the underlying peat provides acidic conditions where iron salts and other minerals react with the tannins in the wood, gradually giving it a distinct dark brown to almost black color.
Is bog oak brittle?
These semi-fossilised oak trees are now being discovered, as the Fenland is cultivated and the trees emerge from the peat. Once uncovered and exposed to the elements, bog oak is extremely fragile and needs to be carefully and expertly extracted from the bog, cut into planks and slowly dried out.
Does bog oak burn?
Until quite recently, when central heating became common, the woody smell of burning bog oak was common in the villages. Arable fields regularly had to be cleared of bog oaks, with the trunks often piled up in so called clearance cairns.
Are bog oak sculptures a good retirement gift?
Unique sculptures including bog oak can be as unique as the individual and make for wonderful retirement gifts. Find out more → Casey’s Bogwood Sculptures, Barley Harbour, Newtowncashel, Co Longford, Ireland.
What do we do at bogwood sculptures?
We create unique sculptures and gifts in bogwood. Sculptures chosen by you that we will custom make. and milestones…. Wish stones are mini sculptures with messages engraved on them for a special person or date they are organic; ancient… stones roots…..
What is bog-deal wood?
The term bog-oak is often used to describe all types of bog-wood; in other counties, bog-deal is used in the same way. There are three main types of bog-wood – oak, pine & yew. All can be suitable for wood sculpture. Some roots, and even trunks, were buried in the wet marshy land, which was slowly developing into our modern bog-land.
How long does it take to build a sculpture in Ireland?
Once dug from the ground in Ireland a large piece can take up to 7 years to complete. During this time the individual sculpture will be revealed with nature determining the shape of final piece.
