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Hi, i am new to huanghuali firniture and would like to learn how to identify huanghuali wood. So far what i gathered, hhl has distinct smell, has ghost eyes or triangular patterns for grain, and it is either honey brown or reddish brown color. These descriptions are very vague to me. Can anyone add more specific things to look for, perhaps provide photo example? Thank you

the wood is dark purple in colour when it is new, and is not called huanghuali unless it is extremely old and has become light as a result of exposure to sunlight. actually there is no such thing as 'huanghuali wood'. A range of Dalbergia; Pterocarpus; Ormoisa; genera species do become huanghuali over time, but this is a reference to the patina they develop, and not the wood itself. The wood itself is called Huali wood, but the fact these pieces of furniture are often 500 or 600 years old is really what is of interest to museums and collectors.

pragmatically, if you are trying to decide on whether you have huanghuali, it will be deep purple underneath; and a light orange honey colour where it has been exposed to sunlight. There is however a lot more to it than just that. I would reccomend you order a copy of RH Ellisworth's CHINESE FURNITURE Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Qing Dynasties from your local library and read it from cover to cover.

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