There are countless books on antique identification, and I've read many of them. However, no matter how much knowledge you gain from books, it's hard to remember unless you actually see the real thing. Once you have a genuine piece in front of you, you'll never forget it. Either you missed it or were misled, but once you've seen the real one, you'll know it's unmistakable.
In today’s antique market, it's common to find Vietnamese-made huanghuali bead bracelets and decorative items. But true Hainan huanghuali is rare. If you do come across a bracelet, it might look yellowish with a sea-yellow tone. And if you ever encounter a set of huanghuali furniture like tables or chairs, that's truly a treasure.
One time, a seller claimed to have several pieces of huanghuali furniture, including an arhat bed, a cabinet, and an official hat chair. My heart raced with excitement, but I still held onto the "just in case" mindset. When I entered his house, I immediately sensed something was off. I asked him if huanghuali sinks in water. He said it doesn’t. I took a pot of water, grabbed a knife, and challenged him. I scraped some wood chips from an inconspicuous spot and dropped them into the basin. They floated up and sank slowly—clearly not real huanghuali.
I also noticed that when I walked in, the smell wasn't right. The white rosewood had a different scent. The seller looked helpless, trying to explain that the old roots were still submerged, just half-sunken. But I knew better.
Identifying huanghuali has always been confusing. Old experts have their own methods, and new ones have theirs. It's hard to tell which one is accurate. Worse yet, many so-called experts write books based on losses or mistakes, not real experience. As Mr. Wang Lijun once said, even the catalogues in these books are fake. Using fake references to identify real antiques is like playing a joke on yourself.
Of course, some books do have solid information, especially those published by national publishers. But the problem is, if the catalogue is wrong, then everything else becomes questionable. The Palace Museum’s collection of Ming and Qing huanghuali furniture is unmatched, and no one dares to move a single piece to Panjiayuan. That’s why it’s so difficult to find real huanghuali in the market.
The huanghuali in the Palace Museum mostly comes from the eastern and northeastern parts of Hainan Island. These areas were heavily harvested early on, making them less valuable than the western Hainan huanghuali. The western variety is oilier, denser, and has a deeper color and stronger aroma. Even compared to other similar woods, it stands out clearly.
Today, many people mistakenly compare western Hainan huanghuali with other woods in the market, thinking they’re the same. This is a big mistake, like comparing northerners to southerners, or using unearthed artifacts as a standard for museum collections. It’s simply not fair or accurate.
Unlike jade or porcelain, identifying antique furniture is easier because most of it has been passed down through generations. Each piece carries signs of age—changes in moisture, temperature, and wear over time. These cannot be faked quickly, and even with modern technology, it's hard to replicate the sense of history that comes with real antique furniture.
What makes things harder now is the influx of exotic woods from South America and Africa. Distinguishing between real and fake has become more challenging. But huanghuali from Hainan remains rare and unique. Especially the eastern variety, which was cut down early, is almost impossible to find. So, if you come across an old piece that looks like huanghuali, take your time to study it carefully. A hasty decision could lead to a costly mistake.
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