Lot #129. East Indian Rosewood Chessboard

 East Indian Rosewood Chessboard

A Holly and East Indian Rosewood Chessboard with 2-1/2” squares in East Indian Rosewood and Holly, with an East Indian Rosewood Frame, Ebony delimiters and Holly Inlays. The East Indian Rosewood chessboard measures 25-1/2” Square, The chessboard is like new and was Crafted by Bill Lisica in 2000.

East Indian Rosewood, is also known as Indian Rosewood and Sonokeling. Its Scientific name is Dalbergia latifolia. The Heartwood of East Indian Rosewood can vary from a golden brown to a deep purplish brown, with darker brown streaks. The wood darkens with age, usually turning a deep brown. East Indian Rosewood is listed on CITES appendix II under the genus-wide restriction on all Dalbergia species – which also includes finished products crafted from East Indian Rosewood. The wood is also listed on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable due to a population reduction of over 20% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation. East Indian Rosewood is very expensive. Its trade is highly regulated, and sales are generally limited to reclaimed or pre-existing pieces of lumber. As of January, 2017, East Indian Rosewood, like most Rosewoods, has been added the list of restricted woods for exportation by the Indian Government.

Like other exploited hardwoods such as Cuban Mahogany and Teak, it has earned worldwide fame. With its strength, hardness, stability, beauty, and acoustic properties, East Indian Rosewood has been used extensively on acoustic guitars since the mid 1960s as a substitute for the now-endangered Brazilian Rosewood. Because of new restrictions, several substitutes from the Dalbergia genus have been used in recent years, such as Honduran Rosewood and Cocobolo; though perhaps the closest rosewood in terms of color and appearance may be Amazon Rosewood (Dalbergia spruceana) – another hard-to-find and very expensive rosewood.