Several things to note about mahogany furniture

When purchasing solid wood furniture, rosewood is generally preferred, largely due to the influence of traditional Chinese culture. After all, rosewood furniture's mortise and tenon joint structure and elegant shape align with traditional Chinese aesthetics. Furthermore, most rosewood furniture is functionally compatible with the human body, has a healthy, pollution-free smell, and is durable, maintaining and increasing its value. Besides verifying the authenticity of the rosewood species, what other considerations should be taken into account when purchasing rosewood furniture? This article, with illustrations and text, analyzes the design, material selection, and craftsmanship of rosewood furniture to enhance public awareness and understanding of rosewood furniture and facilitate better purchasing decisions.

1. Definition of Redwood Standard

The definition of rosewood in GB/T18107-2017 "Rosewood" is: the heartwood of species of the genera Dalbergia, Dalbergia, Millettia, Diospyros, and Cassia, whose density, structure and color (based on the color that darkens in the atmosphere) meet the necessary conditions specified in this standard.

2. Modeling

Judging a piece of furniture from ten steps away is crucial. A piece of furniture needs to be observed from a distance to ensure its proportions are balanced and its top, middle, and bottom sections are appropriately coordinated. The thickness, size, length, width, height, and top, middle, and bottom materials used are proportional to the overall design. Good furniture should have a harmonious proportion. Furthermore, good furniture design should be ergonomically designed. For example, a sofa backrest aligns with the S-shape of the human skeleton, creating both aesthetics and comfort. It's best to sit with your feet planted on the ground, as feeling grounded creates a sense of security. Sofa armrests encourage a natural sense of relaxation, without feeling forced.

3. The color of the selected redwood

The color of the furniture should be in line with the personality and hobbies of the person, as well as the home decoration style. There are three main colors of mahogany furniture, or a color formed by mixing and matching these three main colors.

Yellow (rosewood color): A lively color with the highest brightness. It represents nobility and elegance in the East.

Black (ebony): A color that conveys depth, solemnity, apathy, mystery, contemplation, and extremes. When combined with other colors, it conveys a sense of concentration and gravity.

Red (rosewood): The most powerful color, symbolizing enthusiasm, liveliness, passion, and joy. In the East, it represents auspiciousness, optimism, and joy.  

Carefully selected textures

Wood grain formation: The color variations caused by the growth rings of the wood, as well as the richness of the axial parenchyma, can lead to varying shades of color or distinctive wood grain on the surface of the wood. The following are the most common types, and you can choose according to your personal preference when purchasing furniture.

Try to avoid sapwood

According to the definition of rosewood, in addition to the wood species name meeting the national rosewood standard, only the heartwood is considered rosewood. The sapwood of rosewood contains a large amount of sugar and is softer, making it susceptible to insect infestation and decay. Using a large amount of sapwood in a complete set of rosewood furniture will shorten the lifespan of the furniture.

Identification Tips: Generally, the heartwood of rosewood is darker in color, while the sapwood is lighter (mostly pale white), with a clear distinction between the two colors. After painting, the distinction between the heartwood and sapwood is less distinct, requiring careful observation. The sapwood is lighter in color after painting than the heartwood. The best way to identify it is to scrape the painted surface with a blade. If white or pale white appears, it is sapwood.  

4. Process

The folk appreciation of rosewood furniture uses the evaluation method of "70% labor and 30% material", which shows that the level of craftsmanship directly affects the value of rosewood furniture.

Craftsmanship: The mortise and tenon joints are securely in place, tightly and orderly, and all the necessary techniques are fully utilized. No corners are cut, and the size is not exaggerated. To save materials, low-quality rosewood furniture manufacturers may manually repair cracked or defective materials and use them in less visible areas of the furniture (such as the feet or inner frames). To save labor costs, they may cut corners on the mortise and tenon joints, leaving them improperly positioned, or even using nails to reinforce load-bearing areas. The presence of nails can affect the quality and lifespan of rosewood furniture. This can be easily detected with a metal tester.

Carving techniques: Carving is an essential component of furniture decoration. Carving can be categorized into relief, sunken carving, hollow carving, openwork carving, line carving, single-layer carving, double-layer carving, multi-layer carving, and full-body carving. Regardless of the type of carving, it should be tight and relaxed, with delicate craftsmanship and skillful knife skills.

The value of carving is divided into two types: pure hand-carving, which is applied to furniture after drawing. It requires high craftsmanship and is generally used on traditional craft furniture. After the finished product, the carving has a sense of three-dimensionality and lines, and the image is realistic and gives people a sense of comfort. The second type is machine carving and manual repair. It is widely used in common solid wood furniture. Its characteristics are: symmetrical carving, fast processing time, and slightly lack of spirituality. 

5. Maintenance of mahogany furniture

Avoid strong sunlight and maintain ventilation: Redwood furniture should not be placed near windows to avoid strong sunlight. Keep doors and windows closed as much as possible and maintain ventilation. Avoid dryness and air conditioning vents. This is mainly to prevent the wood from expanding and contracting due to heat and cooling, which can cause cracking and deformation.

Pay attention to cleaning: wipe the dust with clean gauze every day, do not use chemical brighteners to avoid damaging or discoloring the wood surface. You can use a small amount of vegetable oil to wipe it to maintain the brightness of the furniture wood surface.

Place glass: Place tempered glass panels on the surface of table-type mahogany furniture to prevent the furniture from being scratched, keep the furniture tidy, facilitate cleaning and hygiene, and show the wood texture.

About the Author:

Chen Hong, a national third-level timber inspector, has been engaged in timber technical work such as wood species identification, timber trade, skills training, and price analysis at the Guangdong Yuzhu International Timber Market for many years.