Harewood (material)
Encyclopedia
Harewood is wood
that has been treated with mineral
substances to alter its color. Unlike dyeing
processes, making harewood involves a chemical change, rather than simply superimposing color on the material.
Harewood first began appearing on furniture in the 17th century, when sycamore
wood was treated with ferrous sulphate. The roots of the tree would be treated with the solution several years before the tree was felled. This mimics natural processes where sometimes trees will become exposed to soil containing certain elements.
Making harewood will generally turn the wood silver or black in color.
Because of its distinctive and contrasting color, harewood is often used in marquetry
and parquetry
.
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
that has been treated with mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
substances to alter its color. Unlike dyeing
Dyeing
Dyeing is the process of adding color to textile products like fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. After dyeing, dye molecules have uncut Chemical bond with fiber molecules. The temperature and time controlling...
processes, making harewood involves a chemical change, rather than simply superimposing color on the material.
Harewood first began appearing on furniture in the 17th century, when sycamore
Sycamore
Sycamore is a name which is applied at various times and places to three very different types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms....
wood was treated with ferrous sulphate. The roots of the tree would be treated with the solution several years before the tree was felled. This mimics natural processes where sometimes trees will become exposed to soil containing certain elements.
Making harewood will generally turn the wood silver or black in color.
Because of its distinctive and contrasting color, harewood is often used in marquetry
Marquetry
Marquetry is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures. The technique may be applied to case furniture or even seat furniture, to decorative small objects with smooth, veneerable surfaces or to freestanding pictorial panels...
and parquetry
Parquetry
Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquet patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges. The most popular parquet flooring...
.