Material Name: cedar wood
Description
A nonspecific term used for wood from several aromatic evergreen trees. The best known cedar is the cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) which is native to Asia Minor. Cedars are characterized by having an strong smelling volatile oil whose odor persists after the wood is cut and dried. The wood has a fine grain, is a red and yellow in color and takes a beautiful polish. Cedar is durable and very resistant to insects and rotting. It is used for construction, cabinetry, interior trim, closets, and chest. Cedar shavings were once used as a repellent for (clothes moths) and (carpet beetles), but were not very effective. Other true species of cedar are Atlas cedar (C. atlantica), Cyprus cedar (C. brevifolia), and deodar (C. deodara).

Synonyms and Related Terms
juniper; cedarwood; cedar chips; cedar shavings; Cedrus libani; cèdre (Fr.); Zedar (Deut.);cedro (It., Port., Esp.)

Density23-35 ppcf

Hazards and Safety
Inhalation of dust may cause asthma. Skin contact may cause irritation. Toxic by ingestion.


Images
4 total images



Panel from chair arm
Egyptian
New Kingdom
Dynasty 18, reign of Thutmose IV, 1400-1390 B.C.
Cedar Wood
Height x width: 22.5 x 29 cm (8 7/8 x 11 7/16 in.)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Gift of Theodore M. Davis 03.1131

for more information see:
MFA Online Collections Database
 


Vessel rattle
Possibly Nootka people
Canada, British Columbia, (Vancouver Island), 19th century
Cedar
12 x 10 x 39.7 cm (4 3/4 x 3 15/16 x 15 5/8 in.)
Provenance unknown 1989.135

for more information see:
MFA Online Collections Database
 
Cedar of Lebanon

Image credit: http://www.dawesarb.org/images/Thumbs/
Cedrus_libani_sten.jpg
(Accessed April 12, 2004)
Note: Web address has been wrapped
 
Spanish Cedar
(Cedrela odorata)

Photomacrograph of Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata). Set provided by the MFA Furniture and Frame Conservation Lab.
Photo Credit: Keith Lawrence, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
 

Authority

11 total authority records

R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966

Materials Handbook, G.S. Brady, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971

comments: p. 165

Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986

F. H. Titmuss, Commercial Timbers of the World, The Technical Press Ltd., London, 1965

comments: 23-33 ppcf

Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979

Ward Bucher (ed.), Dictionary of Building Preservation, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com

comments: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedrus_libani (Accessed Mar. 20, 2006)

Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, v. 61, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, 1980

comments: density=30-35 ppcf (0.49-0.57 g/cm3)

Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976

Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Random House, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

Last updated on: 3/16/2008 5:31:09 PM
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