Walnut

Walnut is a close-grained hardwood that is native to south-eastern Europe, Central Asia, and western China. English walnut is also known as Circassian Walnut, European Walnut, French Walnut, or Common Walnut. The colour varies between golden brown and light grey-brown with dark figuring. Black walnut, native to North America, was grown in England from the late 17th century and has a rich dark brown heartwood. Burr and Oyster Walnut refer to the different cut forms of wood. Burr walnut reveals knotty whorls from where the grain has grown in a deformed manner and was first used in the 17th century for decorative veneering on oak. Oyster veneer is another decorative form using thin cut slices of wood branches or roots in cross- section. The properties of walnut allow for excellent carving in both solid and veneer forms, yet by the mid-18th century, it was supplanted by mahogany until it found popularity again in the mid-Victorian Era.