A very fine Chinese white jade double gourd plaque, Zigang mark, Qianlong period (1736-1795). One side of the plaque is carved in relief, depicting a scholar and an attendant beneath a pine tree, with a pair of cranes flying among the clouds. The other side features an inscribed poem and bears a Zi Gang mark, all beneath a Qian mark. The jade plaque is mounted with a carved zitan table screen. Overall: 11.02 in. high, 6.30 in. wide
- Zitan Wood - Zitan is the most expensive, and since ancient times, has been considered the most precious of woods.
Zitan wood is the hardest and heaviest of all hardwoods. It is purplish-black to black in colour, and with a grain so dense it is virtually invisible.
Zitan can usually only be obtained in quite narrow strips and so it is rare to find large pieces of furniture made from this wood. True Chinese rosewood is a variety of zitan and is very rare.
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