Editing Pyrography (section)

{{Short description|Art or decoration made from burn marks}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2007}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Wood burning|wood fuel}}
[[File:Pyrography.jpg|thumb|327x327px|The King Wolf, pyrography on olive wood by Roberto Frangioni Piroritrattista Framàr]]
'''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 [[Fireplace poker|poker]]. It is also known as '''pokerwork''' or '''wood burning'''.<ref>{{cite web| url =https://craft-art.com/wood-burning-art  | title=Wood Burning Art-Pyrography | access-date = 10 March 2016}}</ref>

The term means "writing with fire", from the Greek {{transliteration|grc|pyr}} (fire) and {{transliteration|grc|graphos}} (writing).<ref>Marianne Podgorski; ''Before You Pick Up That Nib: Wood Burning 101'', p. 7 {{ISBN|978-0-557-05114-4}}</ref> 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 (optics)|lens]].  "Pyrography dates from the 17th century and reached its highest standard in the 19th century. In its crude form it is pokerwork."<ref>"Pyrography." Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. London: Chambers Harrap, 2012. Credo Reference. Web. 2 Mar 2015.</ref>

Pyrography is also popular among [[gourd]] crafters and artists, where designs are burned onto the exterior of a dried hard-shell gourd.