Description

Many of the early wire work animals produced in Australia are carved from Mulga wood which is a very hard and durable material. It is also the favoured wood for the manufacture of boomerangs. Mulga is the common term for Acacia aneura, a slow growing small tree that will grow to height of 5 metres or so in extremely dry desert conditions. They have a symmetrical form with acicular leaves which present the least possible surface area to the sun and wind , a design that reduces the loss of water through transpiration. Later pieces are generally manufactured from a light coloured soft wood such as Bean wood and lack the fineness of decoration of the Mulga artifacts.