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When the fruit is young
and tender it is filled with a liquid that the rainforest
inhabitants can drink. As it matures, the liquid becomes more
gelatinous with a pleasant flavor. When completely mature the
oval segments of the fruit become very hard and the fruit falls from
the tree. Indigenous people of the rainforest then harvest the
fruit. The nuts are then separated by size, the small ones are
used for buttons and the larger ones for carving. Tagua that
is not used for these, is made into bricks for fuel because of its
high heat content.
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Amazonian Chess Set-Dolphins
$150, |
Amazonian Chess Set-Seals
$150 |
 
Amazonian
Ivory Chess Set, $170.00 Amazonian Tagua
Carving, $150 SOLD! |
The tagua palm tree must grow
for 20 years before it produces its first fruit and is not a
profitable tree to cultivate in farms. With its large root
system, the tagua palm has a survival rate of 98% in burned out
zones. Even when it is burned to a charred stump only one
meter high, the tree recovers with rain and will grow again to
produce fruit and continue to stabilize the soil until the forest
returns. Therefore the purchase of tagua products helps
continue the existence of the tropical
rainforest.
Ecuador is one of the few
countries in the world that supplies the tagua nut. The tagua
nut is valued for its hardness and is very much like marble or
ivory. For this reason is has been highly prized for making
resilient or fashionable buttons for over a century and when
combined with gold or other precious metals, it makes elegant
jewelry items. Our Tagua's partners use their carvings as a
medium of support and help keep the ivory where it belongs....on
living animals.
This outstanding chess set is
an example of the fine carving of the Tagua nut plant.
Please click on the image for details and ordering
information. You can now own your own Tagua Ivory chess
set. | 
