Rectangular in form, With elegantly rounded legs, leg-wrapping double-rib surrounding stretchers, and triple-rib style decorating the top frame members holding the floating panel, two short supportive braces connecting the stretchers and the top, all illustrating the simplicity and elegance of the Ming-Style furniture 18th century, early Qing Dynasty, acquired in 1999 from a Beijing collector, Huali wood
Chinese huali is a rare type of rosewood, which is in a deep, ruddy brown to purplish-brown color, richly streaked and grained with black resinous layers. The heartwood attains large dimensions, but squared logs or planks are never seen because before the tree arrives at maturity, the heartwood begins to decay, making it faulty and hollow at the centre. A great number of fine and durable furniture were made by huali wood in the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially during the period of early to mid Qing dynasty when huanghuali and zitan became difficult to obtain.