How can I tell if my Chinese furniture is antique?
How can I tell if my Chinese furniture is antique?
To determine the age of a Chinese furniture piece, look carefully at the joinery and finish. Natural expansion and contraction of the wood over time will cause a joint to protrude or retract, distorting a once-seamless fit. Antique lacquer finishes become crackled and worn over time.
How do I find information on antique furniture?
Here is some basic information you’ll need:
- Find out the composition of the furniture.
- Make a note of any damage, including scratches, dents, chips, cracks, etc.
- Take clear, well-lit photographs from all angles.
- Search the piece for any labels or maker’s marks.
How can you tell Chinese Zitan wood?
Zitan is an extremely dense wood which sinks in water. It is a member of the rosewood family and is botanically classified in the Pterocarpus genus. 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.
How do I know if my Chinese porcelain is valuable?
Look for a mark on the bottom of the vase. Marks may reflect the name of the company that made the vase, as well as the name of its designer. When the vase has a company name and an artist’s name, it may be worth more than if it simply has a company name. Marks may be inked, painted or engraved into the bottom.
How do you identify huanghuali wood?
Distinguishing Features of Huanghuali Furniture
- Color. The color of huanghuali ranges from golden-yellow to reddish-brown.
- Scent. Huanghuali has a sweet fragrance that distinguishes this wood from hongmu, a similar-looking but pungent-smelling wood.
- Grain.
What is Ming style?
Ming style furniture combines advanced engineering with minimalist aesthetic. With simple lines and curves that favour grace over extravagance, the furniture showcases an ingenious joinery system that employs a seamless mitre, mortise and tenon construction.
What is the most expensive wood in China?
« Zitan » red puple – Santal wood This is the most expensive wood in the world, and the only wood that does not float in water. Zitan wood is so dense that it sinks. The wood is written about in ancient China as being worth as much as gold.
What does Zitan mean?
Filters. The wood of Pterocarpus santalinus, the red sandalwood tree. noun.
What is rosewood Pearwood?
The Chinese term huanghuali literally means “yellow flowering pear” wood. It is a member of the rosewood family and is botanically classified as Dalbergia odorifera. In premodern times the wood was know as huali or hualu.
What is yellow rosewood?
Yellow Rosewood also known as Huanghuali is an endemic Chinese wood that was used for high quality furniture in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It has an airy and slightly mily aroma, not too dissimilar to Laka Wood, albeit a little more subtle.
What are Chinese tables called?
altar tables
Often referred to in the West as “altar tables”, Chinese developed long, narrow tables to hold musical instruments or to display items of wealth and beauty such as jade, porcelain or flower arrangements.
What is Chinese Furniture called?
Classical Chinese furniture generally refers to a wide variety of pieces made during the Ming and Qing dynasties, from the end of the 14th century through to the beginning of the 20th century. It includes tables, cabinets, chairs, stools and bedframes, as well as other furnishings used in domestic settings.