{{Short description|Matching two adjoining wood or stone surfaces}}
[[File:Barcelona Ottoman Barcelona Pavilion.jpg|thumb|Bookmatched onyx at the Barcelona Pavilion]] thumb|300px|Bookmatched maple violin back. The visual match is imperfect, since the wood of a violin back is shaped with a chisel after being sawn out. [[File:Querspinett.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|Spinet (a type of harpsichord) built in 1765 by Johann Heinrich Silbermann. Bachhaus, Eisenach, Germany. The panel to the right of the keyboard employs dramatic bookmatched veneering. Click for a clearer view.]]
'''Bookmatching''' is the practice of matching two (or more) wood or stone surfaces, so that two adjoining surfaces mirror each other, giving the impression of an opened book.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pacificshorestones.com/5-things-you-should-know-about-bookmatching-stone/|title=5 things you should know about bookmatching stone|date=2016-04-11|website=Pacific Shore Stones|language=en|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref>
==Overview== As applied to wood, bookmatching is usually done with veneer (produced in one of several ways), but can also be done with solid wood. The technique is used to beautify a variety of objects such as furniture, violins, guitars<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://westfarthingwoodworks.com/bookmatching-the-plates-guitar-making-tip/|title=Bookmatching the Plates – Guitar Making Tip|last=Woodworks|first=Westfarthing|date=2017-03-10|website=Westfarthing Woodworks|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref> or the interior of high-luxury cars. The two adjoining surfaces are produced from the same piece of wood, so that they have (almost) exactly the same appearance, but mirrored.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.davidscotttiles.com/the-art-of-bookmatching/|title=The Art of Bookmatching|date=2016-06-07|website=David Scott|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref> The final effect varies with the figure of the wood chosen<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/making-book-matched-panels/|title=Make Book-Matched Panels {{!}} Band Saw {{!}} Resaw {{!}} Woodworking|date=2015-01-01|website=Woodworking {{!}} Blog {{!}} Videos {{!}} Plans {{!}} How To|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref> and can range from extremely subtle (so that the two surfaces almost appear to be a single piece of wood), to dramatic effects with wavy grain showcased, as in high-end guitars.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tips/techniques/sawing-solutions/book-match|title=The Short Story on Book-Matched Panels|date=2016-06-10|website=WOOD Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref>
Bookmatching is also possible with marble or other patterned stone.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.globalgranite.com/tips-and-trends/faq_39 |title=Global Granite & Marble :: FAQ |access-date=2014-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115142521/http://www.globalgranite.com/tips-and-trends/faq_39 |archive-date=2014-11-15 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.davidscotttiles.com/the-art-of-bookmatching/|title=The Art of Bookmatching|date=2016-06-07|website=David Scott|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref>
== See also == * Luthier * For another keyboard instrument adorned with bookmatched veneer, see Conrad Graf.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Woodworking}}
Category:Woodworking Category:Stonemasonry
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