The Burning Passion: Antique & Collectible Pyrography, Burnt Wood

L-W, 1995. Trade paperback. Very Good. The Book is in Very Good+ condition. "At the turn of this century women's magazines were promoting pyrography, in glowing terms, as a new pastime suitable for ladies. Fueled by technical innovation and fanned by the art supply companies, pyrography quickly became a burning passion for thousands of ladies. Their skill and artistry changed a fad into an art form as American pyrography developed its own unique identity." Pyrography or pyrogravure is the free handed art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a poker. It is also known as pokerwork or wood burning. The term means "writing with fire", from the Greek pur (fire) and graphos (writing). It can be practiced using specialized modern pyrography tools, or using a metal implement heated in a fire, or even sunlight concentrated with a magnifying lens. "Pyrography dates from the 17th century and reached its highest standard in the 19th century. In its crude form it is pokerwork.