Ziricote: Following the Lines from Log to Board

If you had to choose just one photograph to represent Ziricote, what would it show? You might first picture the dark cross-section of a log section, or choose a round slice where multiple layers of lines intertwine. In these photographs, however, it is difficult to choose just one face. Under the same product name, there are log sections with their natural outer surfaces intact, square log sections, narrow and wide rectangular boards, and round slices. As the material’s outline changes, so does the distance from which its surface patterns are viewed.

A log section, first as a whole and then in cross-section

In a photograph of a log section placed at an angle, you can see its long, continuous outer surface and front cross-section at once. As you move toward the front, a light outer area surrounds the dark center, with split lines running between them. If you look first only at the cross-section, it is easy to miss that this wood is one long piece. You need to view the same material from several distances to read where the lines begin and end on the surface.

A square log section has another kind of width. On one face, a broad light area remains beside the dark grain, while on the reverse face, relatively simple vertical lines continue across the surface. When the cross-section is turned toward the front, those vertical lines become rounded shapes and split lines. Rather than judging the material from the pattern on one flat face, you need to turn it through several faces to understand the form of the log section clearly.

Darkness and light in rectangular boards

A narrow rectangular board retains a thin light band along one side. After viewing the long board straight on, a photograph showing it standing at an angle makes its thickness easier to read. A wide rectangular board differs: its light face occupies much of the image, while the dark area is gathered on one side. Placing the two boards side by side makes it clear that the name Ziricote alone cannot determine a single ratio of light to dark or a fixed position for the pattern on the surface.

Lines shifting onto a round surface

In a slice, the eye moves toward the center rather than along the length. Several curved lines enter through the light outer border, and a dark area sits at the center. After viewing the full photograph, a close-up of the center allows you to examine the spacing between the overlapping lines in greater detail. The round outer outline seen from a distance and the complex lines seen up close coexist within the same material.

The cross-section of a log section with its natural outer surface intact gives a different impression once again. A light outer area surrounds the dark center, with split lines extending between them. Looking at boards, slices, and log sections in sequence is not about choosing which pattern is more beautiful. It is about reading the material’s overall outline first, and then examining the lines up close. The colors in the photographs may appear different from the actual material depending on the lighting during photography and the display.

ZiricoteExotic hardwoodsGrey-brown with black figure