calamander

Definitions

noun The hard, black-and-brown-striped wood of certain tropical Asian trees of the genus Diospyros, especially D. quaesita of Sri Lanka, used for making furniture.

noun A valuable furniture wood from India and Ceylon, of a hazel-brown color, with black stripes, very hard in texture. It is a species of ebony, and is obtained from the Diospyros quaesita.

[Probably from Dutch kalamanderhout, calamander wood : perhaps alteration of (Kust van) Coromandel, Coromandel (Coast) + hout, wood.]

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The department of manufactures was represented by massive furniture in calamander, ebony, and satinwood, carved with the most elaborate devices, dainty laces made by the nimble fingers of village women, beautiful productions on tortoise shell and gold, heavily embroidered cloths of gold, and a large collection of the various curios for which the East is famous, besides a display of tanned hides and jewelry of exceptional merit.

Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission
The country abounds in tropical fruits, such as pineapples, plantains, oranges, and mangoes and in such trees as ebony, satin, calamander, and ironwood.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 3: Brownson-Clairvaux 1840-1916 1913
Here also, equally immovable, the calamander is growing, neglected and unknown.

Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon Samuel White Baker 1857
Can it be that, like the calamander, or Coromandel-wood, which is rapidly approaching extinction, sandal-wood was extirpated from the island by injudicious cutting, unaccompanied by any precautions for the reproduction of the tree?] [Footnote 2: _Nan-shè_, b.lxxviii. p. 13.] [Footnote 3: _Suh-Hung keën-luh_, b.xlii. p. 52.]

Ceylon; an Account of the Island Physical, Historical, and Topographical with Notices of Its Natural History, Antiquities and Productions, Volume 1 (of 2) James Emerson Tennent 1836