The Tree
An ancient tree, rarely available
The Origin
In 2022, a 40-metre high yellowwood tree fell at Kurisa Moya, in an indigenous forest in Magoebaskloof.
The tree stood in a forest area known for its rich tree and bird life.
Recovery
In 2023, 1373 Yellowwood legally acquired the fallen tree. Removing it was difficult. The trunk weighed about 15 tonnes. A team of ten people worked for more than a week just to reach it. They had to cut their own path through the forest.
Parts of the operation were filmed and documented, and is available on YouTube.
Age & Rarity
Scientific carbon dating showed the tree was about 650 years old. It began growing before the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape.
Yellowwoods of this age and size are now extremely rare. Most large yellowwoods in this region were logged during the late 1800s and early 1900s, when plantation forestry expanded in Woodbush. Remaining giant yellowwoods are now strictly protected. This tree likely survived because it grew in a place that was hard to access.
Yellowwood in South Africa
Yellowwood has a long history in South Africa. It was the main indigenous timber used for beams, floors and furniture. Heavy logging reduced many ancient forests, leaving very few trees of this scale.
This makes a fallen yellowwood of about 650 years old, with a trunk large enough to produce wide slabs, an exceptional find.
Ecological Role
Ecologically, yellowwoods form part of the forest canopy. Their fruit feeds turacos, hornbills and pigeons. Monkeys, bats and insects use the tree for shelter and movement. Deep roots stabilise soil and influence water flow on steep slopes.
From Trunk to Slab
The fallen trunk was cut into slabs between 1.2 and 1.6 metres wide and about 3 metres long. This width is exceptional. Slabs of this scale can only come from a very large, old tree. Each slab shows growth patterns shaped over four centuries.
From Slabs to Tables
Thirty-five numbered floating tables were created from this single tree trunk. No two tables are identical. Each is defined by its own cut, grain and markings. Each carries its own number within this limited edition and comes with its own certificate of authenticity.
As this tree trunk is unusually large, old and historically significant, the design is kept restrained so that the character of the wood remains central.