FURNITURE, and Furniture Woods.
Meubles, FR. Mobili, IT.
Ameublement, . . . „ Ajuar, SP. Hausgerath, . . GER. Dasbimi, Eshzy, . TURK.
The native carpenters of India have long been celebrated for the great patience and fidelity with which they imitate the most elaborate details either of art or manufacture, but they are generally deficient in design, and much may still be done to infuse artistic taste and-boldness of execution, when better principles of arE are brought to bear upon this branch of industry. The woods used for furniture in Madras are,—for common furniture, Chittagong wood, teak wood, toon, jack ; and for carved and ornamental furniture, ebony, black wood, or East India rosewood, satin-wood, kyaboca wood.
The Chittagong wood (Chickrassia tabularis) is more used at 3Iadras in the malcing of furniture than any other wood. It is light, cheap, and durable.
The teak (Tectona grandis) is probably the most durable of all timbers. It is very hard, and very heavy. It is extensively used for bullock trunks and for house and camp furniture, for which it is well adapted, as it does not split.
The toon (Cedrela toona) resembles its congeners, Chittagong wood and mahogany, and is very much used for furniture all over the Peninsula.
The jack-wood (Artocarptis integrifolia) is an excellent timber, at first yellow, but afterwards brown. When made into tables and well kept, it attains a polish little inferior to mahogany. In England it is used, as well as satin-wood, for making backs of hair-brushes, etc.
Black ebony (Diospyros melanoxylon). This well-known and much-admired wood, Lignum nigrum; non variegatum? is very hard, heavy, and susceptible of a high polish. It is seldom obtained of great size.
East India blackwood, or rosewood, is an excellent heavy wood, suited for the best furni ture. It can be procured in large quantities, and of considerable size ; the wood contains much oil. In large panels it is liable to split.
Satin-wood (Swietenia chloroxylon) is hard in its character, and when polished it is very beau tiful, and has a satiny lustre. It is much used for picture frames, rivalling the bird's-eye maple of America. It is occasionally used by cabinet makers for general furniture, but it is liable to split.
Sandal-wood (Santalum album) is found in abundance in Mysore and Canara. It is chiefly remarkable for its agreeable fragrance, which is a preservative against insects. It is much used in making work-boxes, walking-sticks, penholders, and other small articles of fine ornament, but cannot be procured of a large size.
Kyaboca wood (Pterospermum Indicum) ia im ported from Singapore. It is beautifully mottled, of different tints, evidently produced by excres cences from the tree. The wood is chiefly used for inlaying, or for making desks, snuff-boxes, puzzles, etc.—Dr. Cleghorn .21f. E. J. ft. of 1855. See Blackwood Furniture.