Satinwood

Satinwood platter
MFA# 1980.400

Description

1) A silky, golden-color wood obtained from the deciduous satinwood tree, Chloroxylon swietenia, native to India, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and the East Indies. Satinwood timber has a fine interlocked grain with a uniform texture. Quarter sawn pieces have a narrow stripe figuring. The durable wood is used for furniture, veneer, cabinetry, turnery and small articles. Populations are in decline due to exploitation.

2) A lustrous, dark yellow wood from the evergreen satinwood tree, Zanthoxylum flavum (South America, the Caribbean islands, and Africa). This oily timber has a close, irregular grain, smells like coconut and polishes to a high gloss. This satinwood is used for similar applications as East Indian satinwood. This species is also threatened due to habitat loss and excess harveting.

Lyre guitar
MFA# 2000.972

Synonyms and Related Terms

1: Chloroxylon swietenia; Ceylon satinwood; flowered satinwood; East Indian satinwood

2: Zanthoxylum flavum Brazilian satinwood; West Indian satinwood; concha satinwood; African satinwood; yellow sander; tembetaria; yellow sandalwood

Physical and Chemical Properties

2) Leaves are compound. Small yellow flowers occur in clusters.

General info: Density = 50-60 ppcf

Additional Images

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  Brazilian satinwood (Sateema) (Euxylophora paraensis)

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  East Indian satinwood (Chloroxylon swietenia)

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  Ceylon satinwood (Chloroxylon swietenia)

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  African satinwood (Zanthoxylum flavum)

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 381

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• F. H. Titmuss, Commercial Timbers of the World, The Technical Press Ltd., London, 1965 Comment: 50-60 ppcf

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

• George Savage, Art and Antique Restorer's Handbook, Rockliff Publishing Corp, London, 1954

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

• 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

• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: density=59 ppcf (0.95 g/cm3)