What is figure?
The figure of the wood is the overall “picture” or impression on the surface of a board. It is the distinctive arrangement of grain (fibres), growth rings and colour variation that is revealed when the timber is sawn.
What factors affect figure?
Factors affecting the figure can be the type of tree, its age and the angle of the saw cut. It is also affected by the orientation of the wood fibres relative to the surface and how that reflects the light. Other features include the presence of burrs and knots and variations in colour.
Some figures are stripey, some come to life with a shimmer of light, some have a sense of wavey movement.
The figure is evident whether the wood is solid or a veneer [see Veneers].
Figure in antique furniture
In antique furniture, the most exciting and dynamic figures were usually reserved for high quality pieces. These timbers were often only available as a veneer (thin slice of wood).
Examples of figures
Flame (or crotch) mahogany. This figure was derived from timber cut from a fork in the tree and is typically in veneer form due to the wild grain direction which would make it unstable as a solid board.
Burr walnut. Outgrowths on the tree produce a spiral grain and a complex figure, such as in this Victorian table. Tilting the table when not in use shows off the figure, as well as making it easy to store.
Book-matched figures. Book-matching refers to the symmetrical effect of two slices from the same piece of timber placed as though in reflection of each other. This mid-century rosewood side table is an example of book-matched figure using three pairs of rosewood leaves arranged as a running (continuous) book match.
Waterfall or cascading figure: this rosewood table shows off the cascading figure.
A rare figure found in Blackwood (an Australian acacia) is the bird’s eye, as seen in the veneer on this bespoke bar table.
Some excellent resources on wood and figure:
Aidan Walker (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Wood, Viking 2005.
Martyn Bramwell (ed.), The International Book of Wood, Colporteur Press 1984.
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