April 2009 Turi Imports ~ Mango Wood Newsletter

My first visit to Indonesia was over twenty years ago on a work-related trip, then moved there in 1992. At that time I was working for a friend who combined surfing with jewelry and handbag designing, and he needed a quality control person in Java. Most people think of Bali when Indonesia is mentioned, and it truly is a beautiful and magical place. But Java, off the mass-tourism circuit, is much more "normal life" - think Puriscal vs. Manuel Antonio.

I lived in Yogyakarta, located in central Java, an old city of culture and learning with a long history of fine arts and crafts. It even has a Sultan! My job consisted of visiting the artisans in surrounding villages, where I would sit on the floor with the women, chatting and drinking tea while performing quality control such as checking that shoulder straps were of the same length or that snaps were secured tightly. These women welcomed me with their warmth, humor and generosity.

This same area of Java is also a center for furniture making, much like Sarchi here in Costa Rica. And as in Costa Rica, mangoes are everywhere; the farmers of Indonesia long ago learned the value of the lumber from the older, poorly producing trees. They cut down old trees, replant new seedlings, and generate additional income from mango wood lumber.

While living in Java I became good friends with a young man from Boston who had also relocated in Yogyakarta and was exporting furniture to the USA and Europe. The first time I saw how beautiful the stained mango wood furniture, my question was: why mango wood?

My friend, Patrick, had started his business using mostly mahogany and teak, but in Indonesia, (as here in Costa Rica), the fine hardwoods were becoming increasingly more endangered and furniture producers, looking for sustainable alternatives, had begun to use mango wood.
Patrick has since built his own factory, with state-of-the art kilns and machines, solely uses mango wood, and continues to export worldwide. Turi Imports buys only from this manufacturer.

Upon returning to the USA in 1998, I decided to start importing Patrick's furniture to the Boston area and had a very successful business for almost 10 years.

Today my home is Costa Rica, and it is my hope to help local furniture makers learn of the valuable and sustainable resource they already have growing here with mango wood. In the meantime, I invite you to visit the warehouse (at scehduled open house events or by appointment) to see the beauty of this sustainable furniture.

Décor artisans, Laurel Anderson of Laurel's Originals will be there with her beautiful hand-painted floor cloths, (canvas rugs) as well as Jean Luis, a resident French artist who hand dyes textiles using only native plants of Costa Rica.

Directions: The warehouse is located across from the bodegas of the Cerveceria in Alajuela, on the road from the airport to Heredia. It is about 100 meters south of the Casona de Cerdo, same side of the street. Look for large yellow and green banners on the fence during the days of the sale.

For details or questions please contact us.

Statues in the Garden
The stone garden lanterns as well as the Goddess & Buddha statues, also imported from Java, are selling very well. We have just installed some at the Ark Herb Farm in Santa Barbara de Heredia. Do stop by for a visit if you're in the area - the gardens are amazing, the tour fun and informative, and the Buddha statues look right at home.