Engraving on wood (Plus print) - Specimen details
| Catalogue Number: 62800 | |||||
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Plant Name | 47.01 CELASTRACEAE Euonymus maackii | Entry Book Number | ||
| Artefact Name | Engraving on wood (Plus print) | Vernacular Name | |||
| Iso Country | China | TDWG Region | China | ||
| Parts Held | Engraving on wood (Plus print) | Geography Description | China? | ||
| Uses | Engraving on wood (Plus print)Use: MATERIALS - Wood User: Man | TDWG use | MATERIALS - Wood | ||
| Storage | Bottles, boxes etc | Related Items | |||
| Donor | Scott RJ | Donor No | |||
| Donor Date | 00/00/1881 | Donor Notes | |||
| Collector | Collector No | ||||
| Collection Notes | Collection Date | ||||
| Exhibition | Expedition | ||||
| Number Components | Publication | ||||
| Notes: | Label source: Euonymus sieboldianus Blume - A Chinese tree, where the wood, which is known as Pai cha is used for carving and engraving. Attention was first drawn to this wood by Mr Jean Von Volxem, in the Gardeners Chronicle for April 20th 1878. In t, he Kew report for 1878, p 41, the following extract of a letter from Mr M Cooper, Her Majesty's Consul at Ningpo, is given 'the wood is universal used for book blocks, wood engravings, seals, etc, is that the pear tree, of which large quantities are grow, n in Shangtung and Shanxsie especially. Pai cha is sometimes used as indifferent substitute. Pai cha is a very fine white wood of fine fibre, without apparent grains, and cuts easily; is well suited for carved frames, cabinets caskets etc, for which lar, ge quantities are manufactured here for export. The tree itself resembles some that the Stillingia, but has a rougher bark, larger and thinner leaves, which are serrated at the edges, more delicate twigs and is deciduous.' In 1879 a block of this wood, was received at Kew Museum, form Mr Cooper, a sp of which was submitted to Mr Robson J Scott of Whitefriars Street, to whom I am much indebted for reports on various occasions and upon this wood he reported as follows 'the most striking quality I have obs, erved in this wood is its capacity for retaining water and the facility with which it surrenders it. This section (one prepared and sent to the Museum) which represents one tenth of the original piece, weighed 3lb 4.5 oz. At the end of 21 days it had lo, st 1lb 6 3/4 oz in an unheated chamber. At the end of another 14 days, in a much elevated temperature, it only lost 1/4oz. In its present state of reduced bulk its weight is 1lb 10 oz. It is not at all likely to supersede box, but it may be fit for co, arser work than that for which box is necessary'. Later on namely, in the Kew Report for 1880, p.51, Mr RD Keene an engraver, to whom Mr Scott submitted specimens of the wood for trial, writes ' I like the wood very much, and prefer it to box in some inst, ances; it is freer to work and consequently quicker, and its being uniform in colour and quality is a great advantage; we often have great difficult in box in having to work from a hard piece into a soft. I think it very useful wood, especially for solid, bold work. I question if you could get so extreme a fine black line as on box, but I am sure there would be a large demand for it at a moderate price.' Refering to this letter, Mr Scott remarks that the writer does not intend it to be understood that P, ai`cha is qualified to supersede box but for inferior subjects for which coarse brittle box is used. Mr Scott further says that of the woods he has tried he prefers pear and hawthorn to Pai`chi. | ||||
| Determinations: | 47.01 CELASTRACEAE Euonymus maackii Rupr. 47.01 CELASTRACEAE Euonymus hamiltonianus Wall. | ||||