Historical records for a 16th-century monastery: the use of jacarandá-da-bahia

Abstract The Monastery of St. Benedict was founded in 1590 and has a very rich historical record comprising both artifacts and written records. Anatomical study of the wood of artifacts allows the species used in each to be identified. It also reveals issues related to patterns of choice and preference of the artists. Many artifacts at the Monastery of St. Benedict were made with wood from the species Dalbergia nigra (Leguminosae), popularly known as jacarandá-da-bahia (Brazilian rosewood). Research was carried out with 36 collected samples of wooden artifacts and seven specimens analyzed in loco, reported in documents as D. nigra and dated from the 17th to the 21st centuries. Macroscopic anatomical analyses of the wood were carried out following standard methods. The results indicated that 65% of the wood samples were of D. nigra. Other woods used in furniture belonged to Cedrela sp., Tachigali sp., Paratecoma peroba, Ocotea sp. and Nectandra sp. The analyzed furniture and integrated goods from the 17th and 20th centuries were mostly made with jacarandá-da-bahia, while those of the 21st century were made with Cedrela sp., corroborating a preference for D. nigra in making ecclesiastical furniture between the 17th and 20th centuries.