African blackwood
Description
A dark purple- or plum-color hardwood from Dalbergia melanoxylon, native to the dry savanna woodlands of Africa and western India. African blackwood is a dense, hard, even-grain wood with a fine texture. It has good carving properties. African blackwood was used in ancient Egypt for furniture, arrowheads, tablets, chests, toys, inlays, and small ebony figurines. It is currently used for clarinets and other woodwind instruments because it also has good resonance qualities.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Dalbergia melanoxylon; Pau preto (Port.); hbny (ancient Egyptian); grenadillo; grenadilla; Mozambique ebony; Egyptian ebony; African ironwood
Personal Risks
May cause skin irritation and allergies.
Physical and Chemical Properties
- Specific gravity = 1.32 (air dry)
- Density = 82 ppcf
Additional Images
African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
Resources and Citations
- R.Gale, P.Gasson, N.Hepper, G.Killen, "Wood" in Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology, P.Nicholson, I.Shaw (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2000, p. 334-371.
- Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
- Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979
- Gordon Hanlon, contributed information, 1998