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Burl treen refers to small household items carved from knotty outgrowths of trees. These items forms a part of nearly every major Americana and Native Americana collection. ==Background== For decades, these items have consistently commanded respectable prices in private dealings and at auction, yet the subject has been seriously neglected in print, leaving most collectors and dealers with only a general understanding of the material. North America was first explored by Europeans in order to find a Western route to the riches of Asia, but in the process it was surveyed and explored for its own resources. The resources found in North America were tremendous: dense virgin forests of large, strong, and varied hardwoods and softwoods; a coastline rich with fish, accessible ports and islands; excellent growing soil; new agricultural crops like tobacco and corn; and huge numbers of animals for husbandry and skins. By 1600, Continental Europe and England had a population exceeding seventy million. Though Europe was well forested and not necessarily in danger of depleting its resources, finding land masses that included huge tracts of virgin forests became ever more important as the need for strong timber was required for building and maintaining a strong naval defense. This was also the age of global exploration and larger and larger ships were constantly being commissioned for commercial purposes. Steven S. Powers conveys that though the tradition of using wood for domestic purposes was nearly as old as Europe itself, the use of burl for domestic purposes was a new experience for Europeans arriving in North America in the 17th century. Burl treen, as they would learn, with its interlocking grain and strong matter made for a more durable treenware than treen of a straight grain. Since a living tradition of using burl for domestic purposes was not part of what the European settlers brought to this country, it can be said with assurance that they learned of the use of burl and its practical applications from the New England natives, for whom it was a centuries-old tradition. (Burl in Europe was used sparingly, principally for veneers.) Early accounts from European explorers and settlers of North America made note of the artistry and the value that the Native Americans held for their carved wood bowls and ladles. Daniel Gookin writes in 1674 in ''Historical Collections of the Indians of New England'', “Their dishes, and spoons and ladles, are made of wood, very smooth and artificial, and of a sort of wood not subject to split.” Also writing in the 17th century, John Josselyn observed in ''TWO VOYAGES TO NEW ENGLAND'', "dishes, spoons, and trayes wrought very smooth and neatly out of knots of wood." Early colonial probate records from the 17th and 18th centuries often make accounts of “knot” bowls and dishes. The will of Eleanor Pierce of Kittery, Maine dated from 1675 is particularly interesting as it distinguishes wares made by themselves and wares made by the natives. “One great knott bowle, one Indean knott dish.” History accounts that the American Indians made bowls and other wares for trading purposes and much is known and documented of the Indian made baskets in early homes, however, not much is known of the bowl trade. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「North American burl treen」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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