Literary notes about sandalwood (AI summary)
In literature the term “sandalwood” is frequently invoked as a rich, warm hue that evokes the gentle, creamy tone of the prized wood. For instance, authors compare complexions and delicate colors using phrases like “half almond-blossom, half sandalwood” to suggest a natural, glowing softness [1]. At other times the color appears in interior descriptions, where furnishings and architectural details—such as fretwork panels, banisters, and fine dining saloons—are rendered in the subtle, refined shade of sandalwood, imparting an air of oriental elegance [2][3][4]. Moreover, sandalwood’s role extends to the realm of pigment: writers note its use in ground form to decorate a painted forehead with a delicate, earthy tone (often contrasted with vermilion) and even describe its gradual blending with other tints to achieve a desired shade [5][6].
- What is it like—half almond-blossom, half sandalwood?' '
— from Ambrose Lavendale, Diplomat by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim - Of this apartment the walls and ceiling were entirely covered by a fretwork in sandalwood, evidently Oriental in workmanship.
— from Brood of the Witch-Queen by Sax Rohmer - The dining saloon was done in mahogany and sandalwood, with eight cabins, four to port and four to starboard.
— from The Ragged Edge by Harold MacGrath - The parlour-maid's cap and apron were of snow, and the banisters of sandalwood.
— from Sinister Street, vol. 1 by Compton MacKenzie - Add the orlean tincture to the sandalwood gradually until the desired tint is obtained.
— from Henley's Twentieth Century Formulas, Recipes and Processes - His forehead is beautifully painted with ground sandalwood divided in the centre by a streak of vermilion.
— from The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Volume 4 by R. V. (Robert Vane) Russell
