Sycamore is a pale, fine-grained hardwood from the sycamore tree, a species of maple widely grown in Britain and Europe. Its timber is creamy white to light honey in colour, with a close, even texture that turns, carves and polishes well, and it sometimes displays a rippled or fiddleback figure that is highly prized for veneers.
Because sycamore does not taint food, it was traditionally used for dairy and kitchen equipment, including bowls, butter pats, spoons, rolling pins and scrubbed table tops, and it is a common timber in treen and turned household objects. In fine cabinetmaking, figured sycamore veneers were used for marquetry and inlay, and the wood was often dyed a soft grey-green, known as harewood, for decorative effect on late eighteenth-century Neoclassical furniture. Sycamore also became popular in the Art Deco period for pale, glamorous bedroom and dining suites. Fiddleback sycamore has long been used for the backs of violins. Sycamore yellows with age and exposure to light, developing a warm mellow tone, but it can be prone to woodworm. Collectors appreciate the timber for its subtle figure and its light, clean appearance in a room.
