What Hainan elements could be seen in China’s imperial palace? This edition of our Rebirth of Relics series features a carved Yellow Rosewood Stool that carried the elegance of tropical Hainan into the presence of the emperor.

Yellow Rosewood Stool

Background

Hello everyone! I’m a carved Yellow Rosewood Stool. I was born into nobility, and you can see that I’m made from Yellow Rosewood, the ‘queen’ of wood. The unique patterns carved into my surface are the perfect combination of East and West. Want to know my story? Read on!

This Yellow Rosewood Stool, currently in the Palace Museum collection, dates back to the Qing Dynasty period. The masterfully carved patterns on the surface include the abstract curves and cloud patterns that often appear on ancient bronzes as well as the floral patterns of Western designs, with even the typical patterns of Han Dynasty jades making an appearance. These disparate elements have all been combined in a way that shows the incredible skill of the artisan, creating a completely new fusion of East and West.

Round stools have long been a favored staple of Chinese furniture design. However, due to degradation and loss caused by use of low-quality materials, overuse, and insufficient preservation, much of the ancient furniture still in existence today consists of high-quality Ming and Qing Dynasty pieces. This stool was carved from the ‘queen’ of wood, Yellow Rosewood.

Yellow Rosewood is a long-lasting hardwood that is resistant to deformation and cracking. This wood boasts a rich, warm color and a unique, handsome wood grain, which combine to create a soft, elegant look when Yellow Rosewood is shaped into furniture. In addition, the wood emits a refreshing, gentle fragrance, earning high marks for beauty, texture, and aroma.

Yellow Rosewood is a tree species endemic to Hainan, and begins to produce heartwood fifteen years after sprouting. These trees grow extremely slowly, at a rate of less than two centimeters a year, meaning that each wild Yellow Rosewood tree takes an entire century before it is mature enough to be harvested for timber. This makes the wood both extremely rare and high in value.

During the Tang Dynasty period, Yellow Rosewood items were sent from Hainan in tribute to the imperial court, as well in the middle and late Ming Dynasty period. Yellow Rosewood was used not only in the home of the emperor, but was also popular with the general public due to its durability.

A rosewood pen holder inscribed with a poem by Su Shi (also known as Su Dongpo) in the Palace Museum collection

The carved Yellow Rosewood round wooden stool had not only practical value at the time, but was also a work of art that testifies to the skill of the artisans who created it. This piece hails from the height of the furniture making craft during the Qing Dynasty period, and reflects the lifestyle and aesthetic taste of the imperial court during that era.