Asian persimmon trees (Diospyros kaki) have white, bell-shaped flowers that dangle just under their leaves in spring. "The leaves turn a vibrant orange [by fall], and when the leaves have dropped ...

While the carvings were stylistically African (and there is ebony in Africa), the wood they were carved from was actually Diospyros ebenum—a species of tree endemic to Sri Lanka and southern India.

The Diospyros ebenum tree, native to Sri Lanka and Southern India, gained notoriety in the ancient world for its precious black wood used in luxury items. Traders transported the ebony to Egypt or ...