Step 6 : Carving the dowel

I wanted to use the Naga heads subtly inspired by the smoking pipes used by the people of Nagaland. For this, I designed a carved dowel piece made from teak which would also act as the support to hold the cane which will fasten the seat together. I earlier decided to have this detail both on the bench as well as the ottoman. However, after the making progressed I realised since the ottoman seat is not offset and sits well in the curved shape, giving this detail of fastening it seemed redundant and unnecessary.

I got this piece made in teak wood instead of white ash, as ash is not as easy to carve as teak is. White ash can chip easily whereas since teak wood has a very high oil content, especially the local one from my state, it is very easy and strong to use for caving. I needed this since the dowel would act as a support for the cane fastening I have to do on the bench.