Tiger maple, also know as curly maple, is a figured wood. That is to say the grain of the wood grows in a distinctive wave pattern. It is not clear what causes this rare defect but when tiger maple is sawed across that grain an iridescent striping isrevealed in the face of the plank. As you can see in the adjacent photo when tiger maple is split along the grain the growth pattern is exposed. D.r.Dimes. Quote.