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Thanks for the previous response! Better pictures, and results from lab test. This pair of stools each measure 28” x 28” x 21” tall.

This wood is hard and heavy and dense. The lab found the wood to be Pterocarpus sp. So, I believe this would be considered to be a huali wood. I believe the tops were reworked with a panel to transform these to tables. The previous owner thought these were acquired in the 1980’s in Hong Kong, or Singapore.

Unfortunately the wood was dyed black at some point, the dye has faded mostly, but it is still heavy in places, in the grain, and blotchy. I think the underside is what the wood would look like if it was refinished (if the dye could come out).

But, I think the patina is interesting as-is, as opposed to refinishing. Unfortunately I am hearing that 80 percent of actual buyers (excluding a small percentage of connoisseurs ) want nice pretty refinished furniture, and I am thinking of having these restored to grass mat meditation stools.

Any opinions as to the age of the original stools?

Below is a link to a gallery with more photos.

Thanks for any opinions on age, and many thanks to previous responder! I think my prev photos were not great,and the hardness just does not depict well in the photos due to the blotchy dyed patina, dryness of this wood ,etc.

The only other examples I can find close to this pair in form is a China Guardian 2014 auction meditation stool lot Number 5004 : A Choice Collection—Chinese Ming Furniture from the Grace Wu Bruce Collection. Thanks.




Link :Many more photos here:

Interesting.
These are the same I thought were nanmu? but clearly...
If I'm wrong I should be the first to admit it.
The lab is likely right then.
There are quite a lot of Pterocarpus spp though.
Over 35 I think it is.
Huamu is a pterocarpus spp, variously P indicus; P macrocarpus; & P pedatus (but this name just a synonym of P. macrocarpus {much like Dalbergia odorifera a synonym of Dalbergia hainanesis})
Narra, a huge tree & is / was used in Chinese furniture.
Referred to as longyanmu unless the burl is used, in which case it's called huamu.
You could prove me wrong again if you test the SG and it sinks.
I would be very surprised though.

Hello many thanks for the reply. From studying the end grain with a 10x loupe, I started to think it looked most like Andaman Paduak. However, testing the SG with a pin to submerge, I came up with a SG of 1.0 (like .98) Again, very dry, heavy, and hard wood. Floating the apron in a tub of water, it seemed neutrally bouyant, not quite floating /partially sinking. This was before I sent a sample to the lab for testing. With the lab results (Pterocarpus spp), it seems like possibly a Paduak of some sort. My main question at this point based on the joinery photos you have previously seen, is what time era is this likely from? Thank you very much for your response!

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