Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Mahogany - Straight grained hard wood with silky texture, ranging in color from salmon-pink through bright red and when newly cut, changes to a golden or deep brown red.

Makore - Also known as African Cherry is found predominantly on the western coast of Central Africa. It has mature trunk diameters range from 4 to 10 feet and can grow to 200 feet in height. In addition to its interesting figures (in some logs) which for years endeared it to cabinetmakers, its durability and resistance to insect attack lead to its use in marine plywood for boat-building.

Maple - Light reddish brown wood with uniform texture. Grain is usually straight except when different veneers are used.

Marlborough leg - A heavy, straight grooved furniture leg used in later work by Chippendale and in mid 18th century American mahogany furniture.

Marquetry - A flush pattern produced by inserting contrasting materials in a veneered surface. Rare, grained, and colored woods are usually used, but thin layers of tortoiseshell, ivory, mother of pearl, and metals are also seen. If the pattern is geometric nature, it is called parquetry.

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) - A special type of tempered hardboard characterized by a very fine, smooth finish. MDF is used in cabinet making.

Meridienne - Sofa with one arm higher than the other

Ming Period - Era in the making of Chinese porcelain during the Ming Dynasty 1368-1644, which had a great influence on English Porcelain.

Mission Style - Furniture made mostly from oak and marked by simplicity and durability. Design was usually rectangular. Produced in the early 1900s by such well-known designers as Gustav Stickley and the craftsman of the Roycroft community in East Aurora, NY. Style combined floral forms of Art Nouveau with the materials and methods of the British Arts and Crafts Movement.

Miter and Spline joint - A joint with two mitered surfaces connected by a spline.

Mortise and Tenon - A hole cut in a piece of wood and intended to receive a tenon projecting from another piece of wood.

Mosaic - Small squares of colored stone or glass set in cement and arranged in a picture or pattern. A popular form of mural decoration in Early Christian and Byzantine Art.

Mother of Pearl - Iridescent white inlay composed of the highly polished lining of certain sea shells.

Mottled - When referring to the figure of wood, the effect of broken up cross markings, intermingled with strips, is generally referred to as mottle. Broad cross markings, broken by variations in strip, produce a block or patchy effect, known as block mottle and a very small, fine figure is referred to as bees-wing-mottle.