Marblewood

Marblewood (Marmoxylon racemosum)

Description

An ebony wood from the tree Diospyros kurzii native to India and the Andaman Islands. The heavy, durable wood is black with yellowish stripes forming a marble like grain pattern. Like other ebonies, it is highly valued for furniture, inlay and decorative items. Marblewood is resistant to insects and takes a high polish. Other trees also called marblewood are Marmoxylon racemosum of South America, Diospyros marmorata of southern Asia and Olea paniculata of Australia.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Andaman marblewood; ebony; Diospyros kurzii; Marmoxylon racemosum; Diospyros marmorata; Olea paniculata; Angelim rajado; Zygia racemosa; bois serpent (Fr.)

Resources and Citations

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

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

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

• Website: www.gilmerwood.com