AN 18TH CENTURY CHINA TRADE, LOUIS XV STYLE EBONISED AND CARVED WOOD FRAME, possibly zitan wood, with cavetto sight edge, plain frieze, gadrooned course, raised sweeping top rail with tassels to the centres and running to stylised cabochon corners, scotia sweeping top rail outer edge running to leaf corners
sight edge: 17 x 15 cm
rebate: 18 x 16 cm
section width: 11 cm
overall: 38 x 36 cm

Zitan, a slow-growing rosewood evergreen tree, provides wood in very limited supply. Zitan wood was used to make Fine furniture and frames in China as early as the third century.

Zitan wood is distinct with its blackish-red or blackish-purple colour. The slow growth of the tree leads to very small, fine grains that make the wood ideal for detailed carving techniques. Zitan furniture is minimally decorated and only painted over with a thin clear lacquer so that the beauty of the natural wood can be seen.