This handcrafted layered cross is built from multiple hardwoods, creating depth, contrast, and a distinct visual presence. Each piece is made by hand, with attention to how the materials work together as a whole. Cross: Wenge Core: Wenge Layer 1: Curly Maple Layer 2: Padauk Layer 3: Ash Outer Layer: Bocote The Story in the Wood The core of this cross is Wenge, a hardwood native to the forests of Central and Southern Africa, including regions of Zaire, Cameroon, Gabon, southern Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Congo. It is known for its deep coffee tone that reads almost black at a distance, but as you look closer, caramel-colored grain patterns begin to emerge, giving the wood a quiet depth. Wenge was chosen for the core for that reason—what appears simple at first reveals more over time. From there, the core is wrapped in successive layers of Curly Maple, Padauk, Ash, and finally capped with Bocote. The lighter tones of Maple and Ash balance against the richer, more active grain of Padauk and Bocote, creating contrast without losing cohesion. Each layer works with the others, building a piece defined as much by its material as its form.
