There are countless books on antiques and collectibles, and I’ve read a lot of them. But even after reading so much, it’s hard to remember everything. You can only truly learn by seeing the real thing in person. If you miss an opportunity or get tricked, you’ll never forget that moment. It's like knowing one is one and two is two — it becomes clear when you actually see it.
Today, in the antique market, you often come across Vietnamese-made huanghuali bracelets and other ornaments. However, genuine Hainan huanghuali is extremely rare. Even if you find a bracelet, it might look yellowish or have a dull color. If you ever see a set of huanghuali furniture from Hainan, that’s a true treasure — something you won’t find easily.
Once, a seller claimed to have several pieces of huanghuali furniture — including a "Arhat bed" and an official hat chair. My first thought was skepticism. I went to check it out, but as soon as I entered the room, I sensed something was off. When I looked at the wood, I asked the seller whether it was really huanghuali. He said it was. I took a pot of water, a knife, and scraped some wood chips from an inconspicuous spot. When I dropped them into the water, they floated instead of sinking — a clear sign it wasn’t real huanghuali.
Another time, I walked into a shop and immediately noticed the scent was wrong. The seller looked embarrassed. I told him that the wood wasn’t submerged, but he insisted it was. I had to confront him directly, and in the end, he had no choice but to admit the truth.
Identifying huanghuali is tricky. Old experts have their own methods, and new ones have theirs. It's confusing to know which one to trust. But one thing is certain — real expertise comes from experience. People who've lost money buying fake huanghuali and then wrote books about it aren't always reliable. As the saying goes, “You have to go back to the source.†Many books today are just copies of each other, with fake catalogues and misleading information. As Mr. Wang Lijun once said, even the catalogue in the book could be fake. How can you trust a fake guide to find the real thing?
Of course, the problem with fake catalogues is real. These books are written by self-proclaimed "experts," published by major publishing houses, and eventually become accepted as fact. But the risk is high — you might end up losing a lot. In contrast, the huanghuali furniture in the Palace Museum is authentic, and no one dares to move any of it to a local market like Panjiayuan. That’s how valuable it is.
The huanghuali furniture in the Palace Museum mostly dates back to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The wood used came mainly from the eastern and northeastern parts of Hainan Island. Due to easier transportation, these areas were heavily logged early on, making them less valuable compared to the western part of Hainan. The western huanghuali is denser, oilier, and has a deeper color and stronger fragrance. It’s far superior to the eastern variety, which is more similar to a wild pear, though still quite different.
Many people today mistakenly compare western Hainan huanghuali with others in the market, thinking they’re the same. This is a big mistake — like comparing northerners to southerners or using newly unearthed items as references for museum-quality pieces. It doesn’t make sense.
Compared to jade or porcelain, identifying antique furniture is easier because most of it has been passed down through generations. Each piece carries signs of use — changes in humidity, seasonal rings, and natural wear. These details can’t be faked quickly, and even with modern technology, it's hard to replicate the aging process over decades.
What makes things harder now is the influx of wood from South America and Africa, which is difficult to distinguish from real huanghuali. But the huanghuali from Hainan — especially the western variety — is rare worldwide. Because it was heavily cut down early on, few people have seen or recognized it. So, if you come across old furniture that looks like huanghuali or a similar wood, take your time to study it carefully. One mistake could cost you dearly.
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