Shioji Burl: The Wood Name and Its Rounded Figure

Wood Dictionary

Shioji Burl is a trade name combining the wood name shioji with tamamoku, a term for a particular figure. It is an option when circular or oval patterns, rather than straight grain, should become the focus of a surface. Here we separate the tree's identity from the appearance of the figure.

Example of a shioji burl A4 sheet (figured grain)

The photographs are examples of the color and grain associated with each wood or figure. Every piece of natural wood is different; the sheet you receive will not have exactly the same color or grain as the photographs.

Names and identification

Trade name: Shioji burl MORI KOUGEI: Shioji burl A4 veneer sheet
Classification of shioji in general references: Genus Fraxinus, family Oleaceae. Representative botanical name: Fraxinus platypoda. Nikko Botanical Gardens, University of Tokyo: Shioji
Scope of the botanical name: This explains the common name shioji; it is not an individual identification of the timber sold. Nikko Botanical Gardens, University of Tokyo: Shioji / MORI KOUGEI: Shioji burl A4 veneer sheet
Type of figure: Tamamoku: a name for a pattern on the wood surface, not a tree species. Japan Wood Research Society: Glossary of Wood Quality Terms, p. 10 / MORI KOUGEI: Shioji burl A4 veneer sheet

A tree in the same genus as tamo and ash

Shioji belongs to the genus Fraxinus in the family Oleaceae, the same genus as yachidamo. The University of Tokyo's Nikko Botanical Gardens describes its wood as used for furniture and decorative panels. Ash is the English name for Fraxinus, so these names are connected. Nikko Botanical Gardens, University of Tokyo: Shioji / Hokkaido Research Organization, Forest Products Research Institute: Yachidamo

The trade names tamo, ash and shioji do not all denote one identical species or color, however. MORI KOUGEI presents this material in a distinct Shioji Burl category. General classification provides context, while the particular character you want should be checked product by product. MORI KOUGEI: Shioji burl A4 veneer sheet / Hokkaido Research Organization, Forest Products Research Institute: Yachidamo

Tamamoku is a pattern traced by growth rings

The Japan Wood Research Society's glossary describes tamamoku as growth rings appearing in circular or oval patterns on a surface as a result of uneven growth. It is not a circular design printed onto the wood, but a pattern revealed by the tree's growth and the plane along which it is cut. Japan Wood Research Society: Glossary of Wood Quality Terms, p. 10 / MORI KOUGEI: Shioji burl A4 veneer sheet

The Japanese terminology distinguishes this from kobumoku, figure associated with a burl or swelling, and from bird's-eye figure, which resembles tiny birds' eyes. Rather than treating every rounded pattern as the same, compare the size and density of the circles and their relationship to the surrounding grain lines. Japan Wood Research Society: Glossary of Wood Quality Terms, p. 10

Shioji's general appearance and decorative uses

Shioji is ring-porous, generally with pale yellowish-white sapwood and brown heartwood. Yamanashi Prefecture's materials list uses including furniture, interior decoration and doors. The addition of rounded figure to this wood's grain offers another way to think about a decorative surface. Yamanashi Prefecture: Forestry supplementary materials, PDF p. 74, Shioji

When choosing figure, think beyond rarity to whether its scale suits the surface. A small cutout and an entire box lid call for different areas of pattern. Before cutting, use a template or trial placement to check the position. MORI KOUGEI: Shioji burl A4 veneer sheet

Bring shioji's rounded figure to a thin sheet

MORI KOUGEI's A4 sheets measure 210 × 297 mm and are approximately 0.25 mm thick. Natural wood veneer is backed with industrial washi paper. This surface material is used for furniture edges, resurfacing or repairs on flat wooden substrates, and wood inlay; it is used differently from thick solid wood. MORI KOUGEI: Shioji burl A4 veneer sheet

For several surfaces, plan the dimensions and layout first rather than assuming that the same pattern will repeat. Sheets vary even within the Shioji Burl trade name. Select for your intended use with the help of the product page or by contacting us. MORI KOUGEI: Shioji burl A4 veneer sheet

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This article draws on publicly available sources from Japan and abroad, with AI used to support research and organization.

References