Abacus
Antique Dealers: Antiques Wood Basics
Oak,
mahogany, walnut, pine, rosewood, maple, elm; you
may have some or all of these woods in your home.
But, do you know how to tell the difference among
them? In this month’s column, we’ll talk
about the different kinds of wood that are regularly
seen in antique furniture and some common decorative
treatments.
The
Basics
Wood
is hard or soft. When I say hard, I mean that the
wood is dense, whereas, a soft wood is supple. A good
trick to tell the difference between hard and soft
wood is that if you press your fingernail into a soft
wood such as pine, it leaves an indentation. But,
this does not happen with a hard wood such as oak.
Wood
is coarse-grain or close-grain. In coarse-grain wood,
the age rings in the wood are far a part, giving it
an uneven appearance. In close-grain woods, the age
rings in the wood are very close together, giving
it a smooth, delicate appearance.
Sometimes,
wood is stained. Lighter woods such as oak, elm and
maple can be stained to resemble a darker mahogany
or rosewood.
Some
woods (mahogany, rosewood, burl walnut) are perceived
to be more valuable than other woods (elm, maple,
spruce). The reason for this is availability. Woods
that need to be imported are more expensive than home-grown
woods. Woods that are abundant are not as expensive
as woods that are scarce.
Oak
Oak
is a coarse-grain hard wood found in Europe and North
America. Starting in 17th century Europe, oak was
used to make furniture found throughout the home.
There are several varieties including red oak and
white oak. Young oak is pale in color. But, over time
and with polishing, oak darkens into a rich brown
color.
Mahogany
Mahogany
is a close-grain hard wood native to northern and
central South America and the West Indies. Mahogany
was a popular choice in England during the mid-18th
century for fine furniture making. It is a dark red
color sometimes, however, it is dark brown. Red mahogany
is found in the West Indies and brown mahogany is
native to South America. Mahogany furniture continues
to be desirable today.
Rosewood
Rosewood
is a close-grain hard wood indigenous to India, South
America and the West Indies. Rosewood is named for
the rose scent that releases when it is cut. Occasionally,
I find that people confuse rosewood and mahogany.
Both woods can be red in color. However, when you
look closely at rosewood, you’ll see fine black
(and sometimes white) rings that are not present in
mahogany. Another trick to tell if an item is rosewood
is to pick it up. Rosewood is a very heavy wood, heavier
than mahogany. In the 17th century China, rosewood
was a popular choice for fine furniture makers. As
well, in 19th century Europe, it was used to construct
better-quality furniture for fine homes.
Walnut
Walnut
is close-grain hard wood found in Europe and North
America. The color varies from light to a very rich
golden brown color and it is not uncommon to find
walnut stained to look like mahogany. Sometimes, disease
leads to the unexpected. Burl walnut, the most prized
form of walnut, results from a disease that attacks
the tree causing a beautiful scrolled, close-grain.
These days you see the look of burl walnut replicated
in the plastic interiors of some higher end cars.
Pine
Pine
is a pale, knotted soft wood with a wide, straight
grain. It grows in Europe and North America. Pine
was often used in furniture intended to be painted.
Everyday furniture — kitchen tables and chairs
-were often made from pine.
Maple
& Elm
Maple
and elm are coarse-grain hard woods found in North
America and Europe. They were frequently used in utilitarian
furniture. Often a veneer of a finer wood was applied
to these woods.
Veneers
Veneering
is a technique where a very thin sheet of a more expensive
wood is glued to a less expensive wood. Using less
expensive woods such as elm and maple and adding a
more expensive mahogany or walnut veneer allowed furniture
makers to provide furniture that was affordable for
a larger clientele. You may hear an antique dealer
say; "This table is walnut on maple." The
dealer means that the item has a walnut veneer and
underneath the actual item is maple. A walnut on maple
table is less valuable than a solid walnut table.
How
do you tell if your furniture is veneered? Look at
the edges of the piece. If you see what appears to
be a seam, it is veneered. On the other hand, if the
edges of the piece are seamless, it is solid.
Early
veneers from the 17th century were hand-cut, so they
could be uneven. But, in the 19th century veneers
started to be cut by machine. This allowed the veneers
to be cut very thin and even. Depending on the way
the wood is cut, veneering produces different effects.
Butterfly veneering occurs when two opposing end grain
veneers are diagonally cut from a branch. They are
applied to mirror each other.
Marquetry/Parquetry/Inlay
Marquetry
is a technique where various kinds of wood are applied
to a surface to produce a picture. Flowers and birds
were often the subjects. Exotic woods such as ebony,
satinwood and tulipwood were frequently employed.
The
difference between marquetry and parquetry is the
subject matter. Parquetry is a veneer that uses geometric
patterns. Nowadays, you see it in parquet hardwood
floors and ornate chess and backgammon boards.
Inlay
is a decorative treatment where materials other than
wood are cut into a design. Inlays were often made
of bone, ivory, mother of pearl, brass, tortoise shell.
Marquetry, parquetry and inlay first appeared during
the Italian Renaissance.
Gilding
Gilding
is a technique wherein gold leaf is applied with gesso
(a plaster-like substance) to wood. It is highly decorative
and was popular during the Italian Renaissance and
the Louis period in France.
