The Maintenance of Red Sandal Wood

Sandal wood is a dense timber which will not be gnawed by worms, but its color will be affected by sunlight, so it should be placed in a cool and dry place.

Sharp objects should never be rubbed against the wood, if one wants to maintain the smooth surface of the ware.

Some people only keep a sandal wood work as an ornament, and will seldom touch it. But the fact is, the more frequently the wood is rubbed, the shinier the wood will be.

Famous Articles

Hollow stool made of red sandal

Ming Dynasty

Face diameter: 39cm

Belly diameter: 50cm Height: 48cm

This stool is in the shape of a drum and its middle part is carved out from a whole piece of red sandal wood. It is mellow in design, and superb in workmanship.

Red sandal armchair with rattan shaving mattress and short legs

Ming Dynasty

Height: 58cm

Width: 58cm

Length: 37cm

This armchair was originally kept in the Qing palace. Its shape is very special, because the legs are even shorter than the backrest. It was most likely designed for the children of well-off families, or to be set in a sedan.

Red sandal Ruyi with inlayed white marble, spun gold and inscribed emperor’s poem

Qing Dynasty

Length: 39cm

Ruyi is an S-shaped ornamental object that symbolizes good luck in Chinese traditional culture. This red sandal one is produced during the Qianlong Reign, 1755. In that year, the emperor successfully suppressed a rebellion in Ili, and the Royal Household Bureau made this Ruyi to congratulate him. The modeling of this Ruyi is graceful and solemn, the curve is harmonious and smooth, and the craft is adept and exquisite. These all show the supreme status of the royalty. It was sold for ￥4.29 million at an auction years ago.

Architectural model of a side-hall

Qing Dynasty

Length: 124cm

Width: 83cm

Height: 79cm

Modeled after the pattern of the side-hall in an official’s courtyard, this model was made completely by hand and of red sandal wood. It has vividly reproduced the construction style of the official’s residence during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Red sandal wood wardrobe cabinet with suitcases on its top

Qing Dynasty

Lengh: 126.5cm

Width: 48.3cm

Height: 247.5cm

This big cabinet was used by the imperial harem. Made of bulky red sandal wood from the inside out, it has delicate carvings and a scientific design. As a massive article made of red sandal, it enjoys worldwide repute. Its knock-down price at an auction in 2007 was ￥27.5 million.

Red sandal articles have always been favorites of aristocrats from generation to generation, owing to their purple-brown color, silky tactile impression, and solemn elegance. In the collection name-list of many museums, classical furniture made of red sandal wood has always ranked very highly, and this shows that the important status of red sandal wood is irreplaceable.

Now, red sandal wood trees have been named an endangered species internationally. The wood’s diameter class is becoming lower and lower, and its quality worse and worse. As a result, there are hardly any highly-quality wood pieces of red sandals nowadays. Scholars are recommending that red sandals not be logged wildly and made into modern copies of classic furniture, and that people should treasure the sandal trees rather than abusing them for economic interests.