There are many kinds of dark hardwood used in Chinese furniture, how can I tell them apart?
It is true that many Classical Chinese pieces appear to be quite dark, and some lacquered pieces were purposely made to look like zitan. We advise all buyers to check the authenticity of any pieces they consider, and specifically identify the source and origin of the zitan. The next question in this series deals with assessing the zitan through its color. One simple test, however, is based on the fact that zitan is so dense that it sinks in water. You will likely not be able to actually immerse a piece you are considering in water, but in assessing it consider the fact that the piece should be extremely heavy for its size, almost unbelievably so. Additionally, zitan has a very fine grain that is said to resemble ox hair. At Zitantique, we specialize in premium quality zitan, and for each piece of zitan furniture, we will furnish an authentication certificate provided by an independent third party expert with decades of experience authenticating precious hardwoods. In addition, at your
