Silverheart: The Pale Wood Also Known as Anigre
Wood Dictionary
Silverheart is a pale wood also known as anigre. Its surface ranges from white to light brown, sometimes with a pinkish cast. It is worth considering for a light, understated surface. Its relationship to Satin Sycamore, the name used for curly-figured material, is also useful to understand. Hoxan: Silverheart
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.
Name and basic information
- Trade name and English name
- Silverheart / Anigre MORI KOUGEI Silverheart A4 Veneer Sheet / Hoxan: Silverheart
- General classification
- Anigre woods / Sapotaceae. This trade name does not identify a single species. Hoxan: Silverheart / USDA Tropical Timbers of the World
- Typical source regions
- Africa Hoxan: Silverheart
- A4 veneer cut
- Quarter cut and flat cut MORI KOUGEI Silverheart A4 Veneer Sheet
Silverheart and anigre
Hoxan lists Anigre as the English name for Silverheart. Anigre belongs to the Sapotaceae family, and some references use the name Aningeria. It is one example of a Japanese trade name differing from the timber name used abroad. Silverheart is a name for a natural wood, not a description of a silver-colored surface treatment. Hoxan: Silverheart / USDA Tropical Timbers of the World
Subtle character in a pale color
The wood is generally white to light brown, sometimes with a pinkish cast. Hoxan describes the grain as straight and the texture as somewhat coarse. When comparing pale woods, look beyond whiteness to the amount of yellow or red and the way the grain lines appear. Even a quiet surface reveals its differences when placed beside other materials. Hoxan: Silverheart
For a small box, the background of a piece, or a frame face, first consider whether the wood should be the focal point or support other elements. You might define its outline with a dark wood or keep the whole composition in closely related tones. The quieter the grain, the more the shape of the surface and the space around it become part of the design.
Satin Sycamore names the curly figure
Silverheart with wavy, curly figure is traded under the name Satin Sycamore. Hoxan lists it as Anigre, Figured. MORI KOUGEI also offers the two under separate trade names. Compare them in terms of whether you want to enjoy the usual flow of the grain or introduce a wavy figure. Hoxan: Silverheart / Hoxan: Satin Sycamore
Quarter cut and flat cut describe a different characteristic from the presence or absence of curl. The former refer to how the wood is cut; curly figure describes the pattern visible on its surface. Rather than choosing from one word in a product name, consider the appearance you want to create. Columbia Forest Products Wood Species 101 / Hoxan: Satin Sycamore
Creating a light surface with an A4 sheet
MORI KOUGEI offers Silverheart in quarter-cut and flat-cut sheets. The A4 size is 210 × 297 mm, approximately 0.25 mm thick. Natural wood veneer is backed with industrial washi paper for decorative facing on furniture edges, repairs to flat wooden surfaces, marquetry, and similar applications. It is a thin layer of natural wood intended to work with a substrate. MORI KOUGEI Silverheart A4 Veneer Sheet
The color or pattern beneath a pale wood may show through. Test adhesion and the finished appearance on an offcut, taking the substrate color into account. Treat the photographs as examples of color and grain, and consider both the total area your project requires and the direction in which you want the grain to flow. MORI KOUGEI Silverheart A4 Veneer Sheet
View the Silverheart 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.