Bruce McRae
You don't say
True mahogany is rare, he says,
the majority of what is seen today
derives from a sister species.
I never knew that. Really?
Oh yes, much paler. And
no chair is better than its back legs,
he continues, imparting knowledge.
I suppose that must be the case,
I reply scanning the grain.
Satinwood comes from the West Indies,
it’s not as hard as mahogany,
which was perfect for rococo.
Oh yes, the line of beauty, eh?
As for the shellac – it’s quite a process.
One ingredient, isinglass,
is made from the bladder of the sturgeon.
Imagine the overhead, I say,
imagining the overhead.
That’s why Chippendale went bust,
died owing money.
Is that a fact? I say off-handedly,
then date and sign his cheque.
Page(s) 21
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