I'm very far from a wood working expert. But typically, water is used to to raise the grain when final finishing a piece. That just doesn't look like raised grain to me.

You could go to the back side, assuming it looks the same and experiment. A little water may raise the grain. Oils don't raise the grain when applied (tung, linseed, etc), but applying something with a soft cloth a few times might help.

Or, in a strange way, I kind of like them. I'd be interested in the outcome of this one.

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