I think this piece dates to the 19th.-C but I'm still investigating. Create an account or login in order to post a comment. GREAT PAIR ANTIQUE CHINESE INLAID CARVED ZITAN ROSEWOOD BUDDHA FU LION FIGURES from $236.50. Add your knowledge below. The wood is blackish-purple to blackish-red in color, and its fibers are laden with deep red pigments which have been used for dye since ancient times. I see a small hole in the lid's inside center and rings which again make me think rotary tool or machine. The fine texture of the wood grain is especially suitable for intricate carving. The mystique surrounding Zitan has—very unfortunately—reached an atrocious level. Gorgeous Chinese Zitan Wood Scepter / Ruyi 14 inches from $850.00. Chinese furniture is made from organic materials that react to the environment. Chinese Zitan Wood Stand - RARE - from $750.00. Beijing agricultural identified a group of 32 species that all variously have these properties and were used in the production of Chinese furniture during the Ming & Qing dynasties. New resources have been repeatedly found throughout the centuries, and those from India and China and Southeast Asia have been supplying the modern-day makers of reproduction zitan furniture. Would anyone more knowledgeable help correct or confirm this description? It is a member of the rosewood family and is botanically classified in the Pterocarpus genus. Help us close this case. Antique Chinese Carved Zitan Wood Taming Tiger Lohan Figurine Statue from $850.00. The wood is blackish-purple to blackish-red in color, and its fibers are laden with deep red pigments which have been used for dye since ancient times. The tree grows quite slowly. It is a member of the rosewood family and is botanically classified in the Pterocarpus genus. It seems to be machine made, at least partially. In humid weather, wood can expand, and in cold weather, it shrinks. www.chinese-furniture.com, Curtis Evarts Few pieces are known to be greater than one foot in width. The outside of the bowl has a type of circular design as from a rotary tool. Zitan is an extremely dense wood which sinks in water. Thanks! Michelle Cheng examimes the very rare narrow zitan side table, Tiaozhuo.Early Qing Dynasty, 17th-18th century. All the various sub-techniques of Chinese lacquerware can be found on furniture, and become increasingly affordable down the social scale, and so widely used, from about the Ming dynasty onwards. As a result, sometimes more than one species of tree was called by the same name, providing that the timber they yielded fulfilled the requisite criteria. The scene on the lid seems hand etched. Subjecting wood to unstable environmental conditions can lead to cracking panels and movement in the joints, among other problems. While the tree is relatively rare, it is not extinct. If you don't have an account, create one here. huali wood also turns a cloth deep purple if you rub it with meths. 30⅛ in (76.5 cm) high, 35¼ in (89.5 cm) wide, 11¼ in (28.6 cm) deep.Sold for $667,500 on 16 March 2017 at Christie’s in New York Values for 7430 - Chinese Zitan Wood Bird Cage Chinese bird cage, zitan wood mounted with mother of pearl, round shape, the panels decorated with delicate vine to appraise similar items instantly without sending photos or descriptions. All rights reserved. http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/124660-antique-japanese-sandalwood-tobacco-box. Chinese furniture is mostly in plain polished wood, but from at least the Song dynasty the most luxurious pieces often used lacquer to cover the whole or parts of the visible areas. 2 (2015): 5—reported of plantation trees that had grown to over 80 feet tall (25 m) with massive 23 inch (57 cm) trunk diameters in just 45 years. Zitan was a term used by ancient Chinese to describe mysterious import red/purple wood imported from India during Ming dynasty. Japanese Sandalwood wood covered bowl. Early records indicate that zitan was sourced in tropical forests of Indochina and from Hainan Island. Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate. Copyright © 1997-2019, As ancient Chinese carpenters had never got a chance see the living trees, the term Zitan was not fixed to certain species. Another instance—published in World of Wood 68, no. Zitan is an extremely dense wood which sinks in water. Chinese named woods according to their appearance, colour and smell, regardless of what types of trees they came from. Yes, zitan is a die wood, but they all - the Dalbergia; Pterocarpus; & Ormoisa genera hardwoods have strong tannins.