Why have I never heard of zitan if its indeed so precious?
Unlike huanghuali or hongmu, zitan pieces have never been sold in significant numbers in the international furniture market, precisely because they are so rare and valuable. There is an extremely limited supply of zitan in the world, and most of the older pieces reside in museums in China and a few other countries, such as Great Britain. Very few westerners learned anything about zitan before its depletion in China in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In traditional Chinese culture zitan was a rare symbol of wealth, status and sophistication and, therefore, even today is considered unattainable even by people of Chinese descent around the world who have the means to own it. Furthermore, because only imperial families and exceptional citizens were allowed to own and use zitan furniture, few pieces were handed down and survived to the present day. According to Classic Chinese Furniture Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, by Wang ShiXiang, the most authoritative figure in the studies of
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- Why have I never heard of zitan if its indeed so precious?
