Wood can have a variety of figured grain types, including the familiar birdseye, striped, curly, quilted, etc. These are all the result of anomalies or peculiarities in the physical structure of the tree's wood tissues. All are desirable to woodworkers, and trees that contain such figured wood are uncommon or rare when compared to the number of trees there are growing on the planet. Furniture and musical instrument makers especially seek out these prized figured woods, which can occur in many, if not all, tree species.
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| Tiger Striped Apple Wood Vase |
The causes of these different figure types are not completely understood, but generally are the result of variations in the tree's vertically oriented tissue cells; that is, the cells that normally grow longitudinally in the tree have some shape or orientation other than what is typical. When the lumber is sawn, the figure is exposed, depending on the plane of the cut made through the log.
