Huanghuali question

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This is not a simple question. Huanghuali is typically used to refer to the old growth and specifically to that from Hainan Island. Huali is not extinct. Variations in the color, figure, and density suggest similar species are occasionally found in North Vietnam, Guangxi, Indochina and the other isles of the South China Sea. It is, however, exceedingly rare at the present.
 
You can buy new furniture made from HHL off ebay----of course it is not the same as HHL that was used to make furniture a 1000 years ago.
Everything from the quality to the color and grain are different.
Look at the Persimmion you have in TX and compare it to the Persimmion we have in KY-----both with the same name but niether look alike.
What I have found to be the big trick is knowing who to buy it from. We are very lucky to have David Lee as a member here-----has to be one of the top experts on this subject.
All the HHL I use comes from David. I know what I am getting is the real thing.
 
The trees that were originally used are gone - other than as some badly stunted shrubs. There are some close relatives, but they are quite rare themselves. I can get the Vietnamese version thanks to a friend, but the price is nearly as daunting as the original.

Marc

Dario said:
Is huanghuali tree extinct? Or just hard to find?

Thanks!
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I have read a lot about whether huanghuali is extinct or not and I have been mulling over what I have been reading. I have never been as far as China so have never seen A living tree. I do however have an extensive collection of furniture though and most of it dates from the middle Ming to the Middle Qing periods. I understand that the production of Hhuanghuali was rather limited towards the 18th centrury then the revolution in China put paid to any more being made in fact the revolution put paid to the Qing period. I understand that there are still trees on Hainan island and some in northern Vietnam/southern China. All of these trees are said to be protected by law. I have had a few antique boards of Huanghuali and Hongmu from a southern China workshop these were aquired by myself in the 1980's these were old boards when I recieved them but there is no real way of knowing just how old they are. I think the proper phrase may be that "Huanghuali has been commercialy extinct since the 1800's" Though dario if you do happenstance to find a tree for sale perhaps we could all chip in for a group buy!
 
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