Application of reflected light microscopy for non-invasive wood identification of marquetry furniture and small wood carvings

Wood identification is a basic information that should interest any wooden artefact. This typically involves invasive sampling, but sometimes sampling is unattainable either because of the object typology or because it is difficult to obtain authorizations. In the present study, reflected light microscopy potential as a non-invasive identification tool for wooden cultural artefacts is assessed on a number of marquetry furniture and small wood carvings. In more than one half of the 13 examined cases accurate wood identification was possible, while the remaining cases yielded information of diagnostic value, making it possible to exclude several potential candidate species. In a number of cases the use of optical filters improved the visibility of character states. Shape and orientation of surfaces influenced the visibility of microscopic characters. The study confirms that reflected light microscopy is a valuable tool for non-invasive wood identification. In many cases it is able to support accurate identification, in others it can anyway provide important information, useful to help decision about supposed species, or to limit the invasiveness of possible further analysis by addressing them on specific features.