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Ebony
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ericales
Family: Ebenaceae
Genus: Diospyros
Species: D. ebenum
Binomial name
Diospyros ebenum
Koenig ex Retz.
Ebony (Diospyros ebenum), also known as India Ebony or Ceylon Ebony
depending on its origin, is a tree in the genus Diospyros, native to
southern India and Sri Lanka. It is noted for its heavy black, fine-grained
heartwood. It is a medium-sized evergreen, reaching 20–25 m tall. The leaves
are entire, about 6–15 cm long and 3–5 cm broad. The fruit is a small berry
2 cm diameter, similar to a small persimmon. Ebony heartwood is one of the
most intensely black woods known, which, combined with its very high density
(it is one of the very few woods that sink in water), fine texture, and
ability to polish very smoothly, has made it very valuable as an ornamental
wood.
Uses
Ebony has a long history of use, with carved pieces having been found in
Ancient Egyptian tombs. The word "ebony" derives from the Ancient Egyptian
hbny, via the Greek έβενος (ebenos), by way of Latin and Middle English.
By the end of the 16th century, fine cabinets for the luxury trade were made
of ebony in Antwerp. The dense hardness lent itself to refined moldings
framing finely detailed pictorial panels with carving in very low relief
(bas-relief), usually of allegorical subjects, or scenes taken from
classical or Christian history. Within a short time, such cabinets were also
being made in Paris, where their makers became known as ébénistes, which
remains the French term for a cabinetmaker.
Modern uses are largely restricted to small sizes, particularly in musical
instrument making, including piano and harpsichord keys, violin, oboe,
guitar, and cello fingerboards, endpieces, pegs and chinrests.
Traditionally, black piano and harpsichord keys were ebony, and the black
pieces in chess were made from ebony, with rare boxwood being used for the
white pieces. Modern east Midlands-style lace-making bobbins, also being
small, are often made of ebony and look particularly decorative when bound
with brass or silver wire. Due to its strength, many handgun grips are made
of Ebony as well.
In Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka, the tree is called
Karmara in native Tulu language. Ebony tree forests which once covered large
areas of these districts has shrunk significantly due to rapid urbanisation.
The wood of ebony is used as firewood, as it can burn even in moist
conditions.
As a result of unsustainable harvesting, many species of ebony are now
considered threatened (For recommendations found under the IUCN Red List,
see: http://www.redlist.org For those species accepted as endangered and for
which import restrictions apply, see: http://www.cites.org ).
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