Why did the Ming Dynasty still favor Huang Huali and the Qing Dynasty liked rosewood?

Among the furniture in Ming and Qing Dynasties, Huang Huali was the main furniture in Ming Dynasty, while mahogany was the main furniture in qing dynasty furniture. Historical data prove that in the Ming Dynasty, mahogany and yellow gorgeous were imported from abroad, and there were a lot of storage in the Forbidden City. But why did mahogany furniture not become popular in the Ming Dynasty, but it was loved by the court in the Qing Dynasty? Why is Huang Huali in the Ming Dynasty and rosewood black in the Qing Dynasty? At present, the following theories are mainly circulated: Round-backed armchair and Five Elements Theory According to the Taoist theory, the Zhu royal family in the Ming Dynasty thought that they belonged to Tude, occupied a central position, or were yellow. Therefore, Hainan Huang Huali wood, with its hard texture, beautiful color and texture, meets the needs of rulers and is favored. In Qing Dynasty, black was more important than yellow, because according to the principle of Five Elements Theory, the Eight Banners belonged to the northern tribes, belonging to water, and should be black, so the furniture in Qing Dynasty was mostly black. Because the Qing emperor liked black, some furniture in the grass flowers in the Forbidden City was dyed black and pretended to be rosewood. There is a big black cabinet in the Palace of Kunning, which is recorded in the historical materials as grass flowers, but now people think it is rosewood through the glass, so it is dyed with rosewood. Now there are also manufacturers who dye grass pears black and pretend to be red sandalwood. Grass pear and rosewood belong to the same family and belong to different categories, which can be called "brothers". Caohuali is thick in texture, rosewood is fine in texture, and there is obvious difference in color depth. If it's dyed, it's hard to tell.

Of course, this statement is just a guess and is not suitable for promotion. The principle of proximity is that Huang Huali is produced in Hainan Island, which is the territory of China. Government officials in the Ming Dynasty went there to cut trees, which could save a lot of money. Going to India is transnational, and you have to go through Yunnan and Guangxi, so you have to bypass the Straits of Malacca by boat. The road is long and the traffic is extremely inconvenient. Therefore, Huang Huali furniture is the main furniture in Ming Dynasty.

Huang Huali was almost extinct during the Qianlong period, when mahogany furniture was used. The rosewood used in the Qing Dynasty was collected in the Ming Dynasty. After Kangxi ascended the throne, officials were sent to India to collect rosewood. When the officials arrived in India, they found that the good rosewood was gone and the cliff could not be reached, so they tied the rosewood saplings with a rope like firewood and transported them back to the palace. Since then, rosewood has never been picked. Kangxi, Qing dynasty rosewood were reluctant to use, and Yongzheng did not use much. Qianlong is used more, and the furniture in the palace is almost all furnishings. Empress Dowager Cixi used a batch for her 60th birthday and a batch for Tongzhi wedding, but hardly any. Yuan Shikai really didn't.

Mahogany was probably brought in during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. During this period, an opening was opened, and it was closed at the end of the Ming Dynasty. It was only in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty that the port was opened for 20 years and then closed. Of course, small-scale smuggling still exists. red sandalwood

Changes in lighting environment

Now it is generally believed that, of course, this is also speculation, and the change of lighting conditions is also the reason for the change of furniture materials. Before Kangxi years, the windows of buildings were all covered with paper, and there was no glass. The light inside is already very dim. If rosewood cabinets are placed, the room will be darker. So before Kangxi, ebony furniture did not become fashionable, and people liked light colors. Later, during the reign of Kangxi, the lighting conditions of buildings changed. With the shortage of materials in Huang Huali, mahogany furniture became fashionable.

During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, glass came from the west. The glass that just came in is very thin and is used for painting. In the late Kangxi period, the manufacturing technology of flat glass was introduced, and in the middle Qianlong period, a special glass factory was established in Guangzhou. The glass used in the palace is made in Guangzhou, China. During the Qianlong period, glass officially replaced enough paper, and the use of glass improved the lighting conditions.

Mahogany furniture was made the most during the Qianlong period.