Well, it is actually more of that cedar. I wanted to see how it would take dye — and it takes it fine. I have found some wood very hard to dye but cedar isn’t one of them obviously. I left the inside unfinished because some people like that cedar smell and I shouldn’t get any moths in there. The lid is mahogany and the spindle is a piece of ash dyed with ink. Diameter is about 7″ and height about 8″ to the top of the spindle. About 8 coats of lacquer — this one needed to shine to bring out that flame look.