Originally, rosewood was only utilized in crafting small objects. Over time, its rich hue and excellent physical properties garnered favor among both the royal court and common folk, elevating its status. By the late Ming Dynasty, literati discovered the solemn and elegant beauty of rosewood, extolling its virtues. Rosewood was predominantly fashioned into scholarly implements such as paperweights, pen holders, furnaces, vases, and boxes. In the early Qing Dynasty, rosewood found wider use in furniture, often crafted into tables, chairs, cabinets, and chests.
As the saying goes, “Nine out of ten pieces of rosewood are hollow,” indicating its rarity. The largest diameter of rosewood is only about twenty centimeters, highlighting its preciousness. Among various hardwoods, rosewood possesses the finest texture and heaviest weight, sinking immediately when submerged in water. Its pores are small, and the wood grain is not prominent, mostly found in tropical and subtropical virgin forests. Rosewood is characterized by its horn-like color, with its grain mostly twisted, albeit sometimes straight, yet always exhibiting a fine, undulating texture. Its deep, steady hue exudes an air of dignity and magnanimity.
Rosewood is further divided into two varieties: big leaf rosewood and small leaf rosewood. Small leaf rosewood is considered the finest, with indistinct wood grain initially appearing orange-red but darkening over time to a deep purple akin to lacquer, almost devoid of annual rings, often displaying a “cow hair” pattern. Large leaf rosewood, also known as rosewood, features coarser and wider grain, with a purplish-brown color and visible vascular and pore patterns after polishing.
The identification of rosewood is not difficult. Simply wipe its surface gently with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol. If the cotton ball turns purplish-red, then it is rosewood. Wood shavings scraped from rosewood and soaked in alcohol will produce reddish threads. Genuine rosewood retains its color when soaked in water but loses it when rubbed with color. Be cautious when purchasing, as new rosewood behaves oppositely.
