# Yu Yin Yang House, Peabody Museum, Salem, MA



## ChasLee (Jul 3, 2021)

Does anyone know the name of the wood used to carve the ca. 1800 lattice-screens?

In a video a curator says something like "copper wood".

Thanks


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

welcome to the forum - could you reference the video or post photos ?


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

The video requires Flash 6, which is no longer supported by Adobe. Likewise Adobe recommends that you NOT try to run any video requiring Flash 6. So the tour of the Yu Yin Yang House is not available.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

she says camphor wood. i worked for decades for an international firm so can understand most people regardless of dialect.


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

+1 pictures or links please. 

Would also be helpful to know the region of China the museum artifacts originated?
Chinese carving was very popular.

The most popular and common ornate carved objects came from Dongyang. The artists today use same old world methods, and can even buy carvings online. Dongyang wood carving material selection is fairly narrow. Mostly used soft white woods like; basswood, white peach, camphor wood, or ginkgo wood.

If your lattice screens are less ornate, or more functional as room dividers with frame and panel lower portions; the low cost hardwood in 1800's in folding screens is often Chinese elm. If the folding screens where made for royalty or the elite, they might be made of hongmu (rosewood species). Finding rosewood examples outside China is rare due very high cost/value, but not impossible.
It can very difficult to determine the difference between rosewood and other wood species in exported Chinese furniture, without destructive analysis or end grain samples; as most are covered with antique red tinted lacquer (called Urushi in Japan).

PS - Be surprised if museum does not have the species information? If Rosewood, would likely have it insured for 6-7 figure value.

Good Luck with investigation.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

here is the youtube link for those non-tech savvy people:


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