Confiscated rare wood to be turned into non-profit Ming-style traditional furniture by craftsmen at Chinese University of Hong Kong
More than 85 tonnes of rare wood has been seized by Hong Kong Customs so far this year, leaving the problem of what to do with it. At least some of the haul is going to be made into traditional Ming-style furniture by an artist and some artisan carpenters
The nearly six tonnes of red sandalwood confiscated by Hong Kong customs officers last week may end up being turned into furniture by local craftsmen.
It was the fourth shipment of banned hardwood to be seized in the city this year, bringing the total for the year to 85 tonnes. As at May 29, 2018, about 140 tonnes of confiscated red sandalwood are being kept by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD).
Unlike items such as computer parts and smartphones that are sold at regular public auctions, customs officials hand any endangered species they find to the AFCD, which confirms what they are, go through due legal process for confiscation and keeps them firmly out of circulation.
But short of building a massive bonfire, which will waste the extremely valuable material and add to pollution, officials often struggled to find trustworthy, and worthy homes for wood collected that way.
Thanks to Hong Kong artist Ho Siu-kee and other trained carpenters, some of it will end up being turned into furniture for non-profit purposes.
Last month, 55 hulking great pieces of Malagasy rosewood, Siamese rosewood and red sandalwood arrived at the department of fine arts at Chinese University of Hong Kong, where Ho is associate professor.