Proceedings e report - Firenze University Press

3. Results
NON DESTRUCTIVE IMAGING FOR WOOD IDENTIFICATION.
From visual, tactile, mechanical inspection by a
professional craftsman, the wood where the sample was
collected was expected to be either Hoonoki (Magnolia
obovata) or Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum).
Special colors of these woods are not conclusive
because of the change in color by aging. Anatomically,
both are diffuse-porous woods and vessel diameters are
around 50-80 micrometer. Rays are multiseriate,
consisting of procumbent and upright cells. The vessel
perforation, however, shows distinct differences: simple
perforation is dominant in M. obovata, whereas
scalariform perforation with many bars is in C.
japonicum. Fig. 2 is a reconstituted and computer sliced
section of “inside” wood. Scalariform perforation is
clearly visualized and thus wood is identified to be C.
japonicum.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, we confirmed that SR X-ray tomography
would open new field in wood anatomy. As discussed
here, it is indeed good for visualizing national heritage
class wooden specimen. In addition, detailed analysis of
tomography data may provide 3-dimensional
quantitative structural data, that accounte for many
complex physico-mechanical behavior of wooden
materials.
References
1. Identification of wooden cultural heritage, SPring-
8, Harima, Hyogo, Japan, project No 2007B15444
2. Tsukasa Nakano, Akira Tsuchiyama, Kentaro
Uesugi, Masayuki Uesugi and Kunio Shinohara
(2006) Slice – Software for basic 3-D analysis-.
Slice Home Page, http://www-
20bl.spring8.or.jp/slice/. JASRI.
3. The investigation is in collaboration with Bijutsuin
(Japanese Academy of Fine Arts), Kokuhou
Shurisho (Institute of Conservation of Natonal
Treasures) under official agreement between
Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere,
Kyoto University.
162
Fig. 2. A typical 3D view of the sample
from Sesin-bosatsu-rituzou, registered
national treasure, curved by UNKEI in
Kamakura period, obtained at BL20XU,
SPring-8. Wood is identified as Katsura
(Cercidiphyllum japonicum)