Clear rosewood marble chair (for CFP)
Qing rosewood Taishi chair (for CFP)
Clear red sandalwood cabinet (for CFP)
Clear red sandalwood
"Thai" is the meaning of giving in Sanskrit. It is solid and tough, fragrant and eternal, and ancient in color. It is regarded as a sacred object in some countries. In China, during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, rosewood was the royal royal wood, and its status was noble. Nowadays, the collection of "inch sandalwood" rosewood is regarded as both a cultural and fashionable act and a symbol of identity and wealth. In recent years, the price of red sandalwood has been high, and there are people who are "profitable" and others have begun to "cheating". Now the general counterfeiting and counterfeiting has been deceived. Most of them are shoddy, and they are similar to hardwood. "Name, confuse. To this end, the reporter interviewed Mr. Huang Dazhao, director of the Furniture Professional Committee of the Guangdong Collectors Association and the librarian of the Guangzhou Cultural and Historical Research Institute, to understand the history and culture of the red sandalwood, and also teaches some simple identification methods.
Red sandalwood from the bottom of the ship
The rosewood we usually call is sandalwood rosewood, also known as lobular rosewood, produced in the state of Mysore in southern India. The color of the chicken is red at the beginning of the color, and it turns purple and black for a long time. Although there was a record about rosewood in the Jin Dynasty in China, the Chinese really realized that the red sandalwood was good, but it was said that it was the ocean that originated from Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, in order to promote my national dynasty, Zheng He led the fleet to the west, and loaded the gifts of tea, silk and other boats full of boats, and presented them to the country along the way. On the return journey, the hull was lighter, and because of the fear of not being able to withstand the wind and waves at sea, it was necessary to have a cargo tank. Zheng He found that some countries have purple wood that is very solid and heavy, so that the wood can be cut down to pressure the cabin. In the Ming Dynasty, the royal family began to use these "ballast wood" to make furniture. It was found that the wood was hard and hard, not afraid of water and insects, so it became more and more popular, and then began large-scale harvesting. It is reported that China's Guangdong and Guangxi regions also had rosewood, but because of the scarcity, it was quickly plucked, and then the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty sent people to Nanyang to purchase. According to the data, "As of the end of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, most of the world's rosewood will be collected in China, and will be stored in Guangzhou and Beijing. In the Ming Dynasty, the harvest was excessive, and it was not revived in the Qing Dynasty. The source was exhausted."
Rosewood, why is it so expensive?
The rosewood grows slowly, and the “Ten Tan Nine†can only be used between the cavity and the epidermis, and the usage rate is only about 15% to 20%. In the early years, rosewood was over-exploited. In fact, not only the royal aristocrats of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China loved the rosewood, but the Indians also used a lot of rosewood in the building. Mr. Huang said that when he went to India to inspect wood more than 20 years ago, he saw the rosewood pillars in many abandoned temples. The low output, the large amount of use, and the scarce wood resources determine the preciousness of rosewood and the potential for appreciation and preservation. Nowadays, because of its endangered species, red sandalwood is prohibited from exporting in India like ivory and sandalwood. Not to mention the old red sandalwood that is naturally produced in southern India, it is not easy to buy new red sandalwood introduced from Indian plantations, and the quality of new and old red sandalwood is actually quite different. In the past ten years, in addition to the smuggling from India, there are some red sandalwood plantations introduced from non-Indian origins.
In addition to scarcity, the value of rosewood depends more on its quality. The rosewood has a solid wood texture, because the wood grain is fine, so the fine rosewood can be carved, which further raises the price. In addition, rosewood also has health and beauty effects. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", red sandalwood can stop bleeding and relieve pain. In particular, it can regulate blood and blood, cure arthritis, and can also be used as a mask to cover the face with rosewood. Acne beauty can prevent the appearance of wrinkles. In this way, the price of red sandalwood has risen all the way in recent years, and it is getting more and more expensive.
Large leaf rosewood and lobular rosewood
Red sandalwood is precious and not worth it, but more than a decade ago, around 1996, there were a large number of rosewood from Madagascar, Africa, coming to China. This dark hardwood has similar color and wood grain to red sandalwood. So many merchants on the market soon said that this kind of wood is a kind of red sandalwood, called big leaf rosewood.
Mr. Huang said that because the red sandalwood is to protect the tree species, but there have been so many red sandalwoods at one time, this incident has attracted the attention of the United Nations Environmental Protection Organization and issued a document to the Madagascar government to stop the trading of rosewood and red sandalwood. The Madagascar government immediately submitted a written report stating that Madagascar’s dark hardwoods exported to China are “Lushi yellow ebony†from the genus Dalbergia, and sandalwood rosewood from the leguminous genus. . To this end, the United Nations Environmental Protection Organization specifically asked experts to go to Madagascar to investigate, and finally proved that "Lushi yellow ebony" is indeed not red sandalwood.
In fact, the lobular rosewood and the big-leaf rosewood are very close at first glance. Under the circumstance, the connoisseurs can still see a big difference at a glance. First of all, in terms of weight, the big leaf rosewood will be much lighter, and the texture will be thicker. Reflected in the price, the big leaf rosewood is only 1/4 of the price of lobular rosewood. “Now the raw materials of lobular rosewood are priced according to their length and diameter.†Mr. Huang said, “If the length is more than 3 meters or the diameter exceeds 30 centimeters, it will be calculated according to the root.†A friend of Mr. Huang’s collection is 3.1 meters long. The 30 cm diameter lobular rosewood raw material sold for more than 2 million yuan.
Rosewood identification
And the purchase of rosewood furniture:
To identify the rosewood, the most basic, to observe from the following aspects:
1. Viewing the road. The rosewood texture is curlyly curled and is called "cow hair." The chord cut of rosewood - along the main axis of the trunk or the direction of the wood texture, does not pass through the longitudinal section of the medulla parallel to the annual ring or perpendicular to the wood ray - the gold wire is slender and sparse, looming, there are regular peaks.
2. 掂 weight. The rosewood wood is fine and heavy, and it sinks when it enters the water.
3. One of the most common methods of identification at present is to use alcohol to scrape off some of the rosewood chips and put them into alcohol. The alcohol will turn into wine red.
4. You can also find a piece of white paper and use red sandalwood on the paper to see red scratches on the paper.
5. May wish to ask more about the place of origin. There are a lot of wood in the market in the name of red sandalwood, so I would like to inquire about the origin, if not from India, it will leave a more eye-catching.
The above is a few points to choose rosewood. If you want to choose rosewood furniture, then on the basis of confirming that the wood is rosewood, you should also examine which genre is the process. In Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangzhou, because Beijing is mostly built for the royal family, the crafts of engraving and polishing will be more excellent, and the price will naturally be higher. Of course, because it is too expensive, it is recommended to ask an expert to follow the behavior when purchasing rosewood furniture.
On the one hand, we learn some simple identification techniques, and we will not be fooled. On the other hand, we must also see the trick of fraudulently deceiving in the name of rosewood. According to Mr. Huang, the most common method of counterfeiting is to cut the rosewood into thin slices and stick it on some other ordinary hardwoods. In this way, regardless of the appearance, texture or weight, it is easy to be confused. In addition, it is to pay attention to the confusion in the name. In order to increase the value of wood, some people often play "cottage" on the name, try to rely on the word "red sandalwood". For example, some kind of wood produced in Africa, because the texture is close to the red sandalwood, some people are named "African red sandalwood". If the uninformed person goes to the word "red sandalwood", this will be a big loss. Even if there is only one word in the name, it is enough to confuse people. It is understood that in addition to red sandalwood, there are ebony, green sandalwood, and sandalwood on the market. These wood names are some of the scientific names, some are the common name of the market. Most of them are other hardwoods, not belonging to mahogany, but because of the stickers, the value is also rising.
**English Version:**Clear rosewood marble chair (for CFP)
Qing rosewood Taishi chair (for CFP)
Clear red sandalwood cabinet (for CFP)
Clear red sandalwood
"Thai" means "giving" in Sanskrit. It is solid, tough, fragrant, and eternal, with an ancient color. In some countries, it is considered a sacred item. In China, during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, rosewood was the royal wood, and its status was very high. Today, collecting "inch sandalwood" rosewood is seen as both a cultural and trendy act, as well as a symbol of status and wealth. In recent years, the price of red sandalwood has soared, and some people have started to exploit it for profit. Unfortunately, the market is now flooded with fake products, many of which are poorly made and resemble ordinary hardwoods. To help buyers avoid falling for these fakes, we spoke with Mr. Huang Dazhao, director of the Furniture Professional Committee of the Guangdong Collectors Association and a researcher at the Guangzhou Cultural and Historical Research Institute. He shared the history and culture of red sandalwood, as well as some simple methods to identify real rosewood.
Red Sandalwood from the Bottom of the Ship
The rosewood commonly referred to today is sandalwood rosewood, also known as lobular rosewood, which comes from the Mysore region in southern India. When freshly cut, its color is red, but over time, it turns purple and eventually black. Although rosewood was mentioned in records from the Jin Dynasty in China, it wasn’t until the Ming Dynasty, thanks to the voyages of Admiral Zheng He, that the Chinese truly recognized its value. Zheng He’s expeditions brought back gifts such as tea and silk, and on the return trip, he used heavy woods like rosewood as ballast to stabilize the ships. The Ming imperial family later began using this wood for furniture, discovering its durability and resistance to water and insects. Over time, it became highly sought after and was even imported from Southeast Asia. By the end of the Ming and Qing dynasties, most of the world’s rosewood had been gathered in China, stored in cities like Guangzhou and Beijing. However, due to over-harvesting, the supply dwindled by the Qing era.
Why Is Rosewood So Expensive?
Rosewood grows very slowly, and only about 15–20% of the tree is usable, typically just the outer layer. In the past, it was heavily exploited, not only by Chinese nobility but also by Indians for construction. Mr. Huang recalls visiting temples in India decades ago and seeing rosewood pillars in abandoned buildings. The combination of low yield, high demand, and limited supply has made rosewood extremely valuable. Today, it’s classified as an endangered species, and India has banned its export, similar to how ivory and sandalwood are regulated. Purchasing genuine old rosewood from southern India is now nearly impossible, and even newly planted varieties from non-Indian sources differ significantly in quality. In recent years, smuggled wood and plantation-grown alternatives have entered the market.
Beyond scarcity, the value of rosewood also depends on its quality. Its fine grain makes it ideal for intricate carving, which increases its price. Additionally, rosewood has health benefits. According to the *Compendium of Materia Medica*, it can stop bleeding, relieve pain, improve circulation, and treat conditions like arthritis. It’s also used in skincare, helping to reduce acne and wrinkles. All of these factors have driven up the price of red sandalwood in recent years, making it more expensive than ever.
Large Leaf Rosewood vs. Lobular Rosewood
While rosewood is rare and valuable, more than a decade ago, a large quantity of wood from Madagascar and Africa arrived in China. This dark hardwood closely resembled red sandalwood in color and grain, leading many merchants to label it as such—calling it "large leaf rosewood."
Mr. Huang explained that the UN Environment Programme took notice of the sudden surge in rosewood trade and issued a warning to Madagascar. The government responded by clarifying that the wood exported to China was not red sandalwood, but rather "Lushi yellow ebony" from the Dalbergia genus. After an investigation, it was confirmed that "Lushi yellow ebony" was not true red sandalwood.
Though lobular and large leaf rosewood look similar at first glance, connoisseurs can tell the difference. For instance, large leaf rosewood is lighter in weight and coarser in texture. In terms of price, it’s only about a quarter of the cost of true lobular rosewood. Mr. Huang noted that raw lobular rosewood is priced based on its length and diameter. A 3.1-meter-long, 30-centimeter-diameter piece recently sold for over two million yuan.
How to Identify Rosewood and Purchase Rosewood Furniture
To identify rosewood, consider the following key points:
1. Examine the grain. Rosewood has a distinctive, swirling pattern known as "cow hair." When viewed in a cross-section, the grain appears thin and scattered, with visible ridges.
2. Weigh it. True rosewood is dense and sinks in water.
3. Test with alcohol. Rubbing rosewood chips in alcohol causes the liquid to turn a deep red.
4. Use white paper. Rubbing rosewood on white paper leaves a red mark.
5. Check the origin. If the wood isn’t from India, it may be a fake.
Once you confirm it’s real rosewood, check the craftsmanship. In regions like Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangzhou, traditional techniques and superior finishing make furniture more valuable. Given the high cost, it’s always wise to consult an expert before purchasing.
Understanding how to identify rosewood helps avoid being scammed. However, counterfeiters often use tricks like slicing real rosewood and attaching it to cheaper hardwoods, making it difficult to distinguish. Others mislabel wood to inflate prices, such as calling African wood "African red sandalwood." Even small name changes can cause confusion. In addition to red sandalwood, there are other types like ebony, green sandalwood, and sandalwood on the market—some are real, while others are just imitations. Always do your research before buying.
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