Sugar press from Java, Indonesia |
Can you imagine life without sweetness – without sugar? Prior to the year 1500, this was how most people lived. Back then, sugar was considered a luxury commodity, a spice for royalty and the wealthy. It was so valuable that it acquired the name “White Gold.” Yet, people have a sweet tooth; it’s part of the human condition. The natives of Indonesia satisfied theirs by chewing raw sugarcane. Then they figured out how to extract the sweet sap from the cane.
This sugar press is crafted in iron wood, one of the hardest woods in the world |
This week's New Arrival features a well-aged sugar press from Indonesia, a region where sugarcane has been cultivated for thousands of years. Crafted from ironwood, one of the hardest woods in the world, it slowly turned in unison with a corresponding piece to press the cane between. Whether used as a stool, side table or pedestal, its rich, smooth patina and new found function represent another way to make life sweeter.