Classification of common solid wood beds ——7. Yushuchuang

Yushuchuang

7. Elm:

Ulmaceae, Ulmus, mainly temperate deciduous trees and tall trees; They are common trees, not only the main trees in the forest, but also widely planted as ornamental trees. There are about 40 kinds of elms in the world, and there are 24 kinds in China. Elm mainly grows in the north temperate zone, mostly deciduous trees, and some are shrubs and evergreen trees, which are distributed all over the north, especially in the Yellow River basin.

Elm is the most commonly used wood for making furniture in northern China. There are more than 20 varieties, which can grow to a height of more than 30 meters and a diameter of 1 meter. After cutting, sapwood is yellow-brown, core material is light brown, and the texture is like feathers. Elm doesn't crack easily. Ulmus pumila has moderate strength, corrosion resistance and easy processing. Elm is tough, clear in texture, moderate in hardness and softness, suitable for general relief carving, smooth in plane, beautiful in chord pattern, and has the pattern of "chicken wing wood", so it is one of the main furniture materials.

Characteristics and properties of Ulmus pumila

Elm wood is tough, the texture is tall and rough, and the natural color is rough and simple, which are in line with the concept of being a man respected by the ancients. Therefore, the white elm has been very popular since ancient times, and it is the first choice for dignitaries, literati and ordinary people to make furniture.

Elm furniture retains the style of Ming and Qing furniture. It is well-known, unassuming, boastful, not polite, square, with a circle in the middle, natural and decent, straight and beautiful, both rigid and flexible, and exquisite in washing and training. From the structural point of view, elm furniture is completely connected by reasonable tenons and mortises, without a nail, which is enough to resist the humidity in the south and the dryness in the north. The clear natural texture of elm is like a landscape painting with mountains and greens, like ripples on a blue lake. At first glance, it seems that you can stay away from the prosperity of the city in an instant and stay in the mountains and clear waters.

Advantages and disadvantages of elm

Advantages:

1, elm is tough, with high mechanical strength and strong corrosion resistance; Moderate hardness and strength, suitable for carving, and can be adapted to general relief carving.

2. The sapwood of Ulmus pumila is clearly distinguishable, with dark yellow sapwood and dark purple-gray heartwood.

3. Ulmus pumila has clear texture, smooth plane, beautiful chords, and a pattern similar to "chicken wing wood". Wood can be shaped, carved, polished and painted to make exquisite lacquer crafts.

Disadvantages:

1, elm is divided into old and new, and the disadvantages of new elm furniture are easy deformation, insect-loving and serious shrinkage; The disadvantage of the old elm is that there will be old wormholes, old cracks and old tenons in some places.

2. Elm furniture that has been strictly dried in the drying room is not easy to crack, but elm is not easy to dry. At present, there are many elm boards in the market because of many problems in cost or equipment, and the wood drying is not in place, so the elm furniture made is easy to crack and deform.

Application of Elm in Furniture

Elm can be divided into yellow elm and purple elm. Elm is more common, and the wood is pale yellow when it is newly cut, and its color gradually deepens with the growth of tree age; Purple elm is naturally dark purple, and its color is similar to that of old mahogany; So elm is the largest furniture in the north, made of wax and paint; Elm is made of other materials, and traces of elm furniture can be seen at any time in Shanxi, Shandong, Hebei, Henan and other ancient furniture provinces. The production time span of elm furniture is very long, and it never stopped from the beginning of Ming Dynasty to the end of Qing Dynasty, and its evolution process and regional characteristics are very clear. Early elm furniture was mainly dedicated to furniture, such as tables and cases, which looked like Gu Zhuo and were mostly displayed in temples, family shrines and other places, so it can be preserved to this day. There is a wooden basin carved from elm, without paint or decoration. After long-term touch and air oxidation, the patina is bright and dazzling, and the wood grain is old and vigorous. A century-old relic, intact, caresses the heart like a crisp. As if touching the vicissitudes of life.

On the other hand, because the old elm is hard, after the Ming and Qing Dynasties, craftsmen struggled because of labor and labor, and the northeast wood was widely supplied, so the furniture made of this wood appeared less; Sometimes for old elm, carpenters leave when they see it, which shows that craftsmen generally don't like the labor-intensive and low output of wood in technology.

There is a folk slang for elm-"there is a knot in one's heart on elm", which means it is difficult to understand and cut; In fact, judging from the current Elm House, Elm is more like a "market" veteran who knows the customs. Whether in front of Wang Xietang or in the backyard of the people, you can see its standing figure, bold and hearty laughter and decorative talent.

At present, in China, elm furniture is mainly Ming style, with simple shape, smooth lines and elegant style. Ming-style furniture is moderately decorated, moderately complicated and locally decorated.

Identification method of elm

1. Ulmus pumila has clear wood grain, moderate hardness and strength, and can adapt to the general carved relief. The plane is smooth, the chord pattern is beautiful, and there is a pattern of chicken wing wood. It is one of the main furniture materials.

2. The characteristics of its wood, sapwood is clearly distinguished, sapwood is narrow and dark yellow, heartwood is dark purple-gray; The material is light and hard, with high mechanical strength, flat texture and rough structure.

Maintenance of elm furniture

Elm furniture appears in people's family life because elm furniture is gradually collected and loved by more and more people, followed by the maintenance of elm furniture. Generally speaking, elm furniture is most afraid of two things because of wood. One is that the environmental humidity changes too much, and the other is that it is especially forbidden to expose to the sun.

1, wet cloth is the natural enemy of ancient furniture, because the moisture in wet cloth will form particles when mixed with lime sand. Once it rubs the surface of furniture, it is easy to cause some damage to it. When cleaning elm furniture, pay special attention not to leave water marks. People often say that "it has been dry for thousands of years and wet for thousands of years, but it has been dry for several years and wet and wet". Then there is dust on elm furniture, how to clean it?

It is best to brush the dust gently with a soft brush, and then wipe it slowly with a dry cloth made of cotton and linen. If the furniture is stained, you can wipe it with a small amount of water-soluble or oily cleaner.

2, wooden furniture due to material reasons, excessive sunlight or excessive humidity, will destroy its material, leading to wood cracking or fragile and easy to fold.

Therefore, elm furniture should be kept dry without being exposed to too much sunlight. In the south of China, the humid climate has brought more troubles to the collection of elm furniture, but as long as it is carefully maintained and dehumidified with appropriate desiccant, it can still be harmless.