White Holly Once Pretended to Be Black Ebony

American Holly is prized for its unusually pale wood, yet it was sometimes stained black to imitate ebony—particularly for piano keys and other small decorative items.

Surprising takeaway: One of North America’s whitest commercial woods could be transformed into a convincing visual substitute for one of the world’s darkest. The same idea can give turners dramatic black pieces while retaining visible wood grain.