Pao Rosa: Exploring a Reddish Timber Name
Wood Dictionary
Pao Rosa is our trade name for a reddish-toned timber. The name also appears in spellings such as paorossa, pao rosa and pau rosa. Among the many similar names used for tropical woods, it helps to begin with the connection to a commonly associated botanical name.
The photographs are examples of the color and grain associated with each wood or figure. Every piece of natural wood is different; the sheet you receive will not have exactly the same color or grain as the photographs.
Names and identification
- Trade names
- Pao Rosa / Pao rosa / Pau rosa MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information / Kew: Bobgunnia fistuloides
- An example of an associated species
- Bobgunnia fistuloides (Harms) J.H.Kirkbr. & Wiersema Kew: Bobgunnia fistuloides
- Classification and natural distribution
- The species above belongs to Fabaceae and is native to west and west-central tropical Africa. Kew: Bobgunnia fistuloides
- MORI KOUGEI veneer sheets
- A4 (210 × 297 mm), approximately 0.25 mm thick, backed with industrial washi paper MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information
An older botanical name and its accepted name
Bobgunnia fistuloides, known as a timber associated with pao rosa, appears in older sources as Swartzia fistuloides. Kew currently accepts Bobgunnia fistuloides and treats Swartzia fistuloides as a synonym of the same species. Different names do not necessarily mean different plants; here they reflect a revision of classification and botanical nomenclature. Kew: Bobgunnia fistuloides
A similar trade name alone does not establish that this is the same material as products called Rosewood or Shitan. The botanical name here describes a generally associated species, not a botanical identification of all our stock. We retain Pao Rosa as the store's product name and keep these different kinds of information distinct. MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information / Kew: Bobgunnia fistuloides
Combining it as a reddish material
We present pao rosa in our red-toned category. When planning a piece, first consider whether the reddish color should occupy a broad area or appear in a small motif. Even within the same red family, its effect changes beside lighter or darker materials. MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information
For wood inlay, the grain retained within a cutout matters as much as the outline itself. Use templates to test areas that follow the grain and areas that turn across it, separating decisions about color from decisions about pattern. You need not use the entire A4 sheet: edges, bands and small shapes offer other possibilities.
The idea of hard timber and the handling of veneer
MORI KOUGEI's A4 product is a thin sheet approximately 0.25 mm thick, with natural wood veneer backed by industrial washi paper. Consider it for bonding to furniture edges, small-object surfaces and wood inlay. Heavy solid timber and thin veneer require different handling and serve different roles. Any part requiring strength should be supported by an appropriate substrate. MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information
For intricate shapes, avoid forcing a cut through in one pass; test your cutting approach on an offcut before making the final components. Test adhesives and finishes on the same substrate as well. Rather than reproducing a photograph's exact color and pattern, select areas that suit your work from the individual sheet. That is part of the enjoyment of natural wood. MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information
Explore related woods
This article draws on publicly available sources from Japan and abroad, with AI used to support research and organization.