Seeing that Chu Chen had asked several questions without saying a single word of praise, Lin Dacheng realized that there was probably something wrong with his item. He asked weakly, "Xiao Chen, is there something wrong with this screen? Is it really made of chicken wing wood?"
"This screen is indeed made of chicken wing wood..."
When delight appeared on Lin Dacheng's face, Chu Chen changed tack and said, "But this kind of chicken wing wood has absolutely nothing to do with the chicken wing wood used in Ming Dynasty furniture. It's African chicken wing wood, which is relatively poor in quality."
"African chicken wing wood?" A trace of confusion appeared on Lin Dacheng's face. He knew nothing about this type of timber.
Chu Chen nodded and explained, "On today's market, chicken wing wood is divided into old and new varieties. Old chicken wing wood has a dense grain, with dark and light purplish-brown shades forming patterns. Its longitudinally cut, slightly slanted sections are especially fine and lively, giving people the impression of brilliant, shimmering feathers."
"New chicken wing wood, on the other hand, is coarse in texture, alternating between purple and black. Its grain is often muddy and indistinct, stiff and lacking any swirling movement. The wood fibers can also easily warp, crack, and splinter. Simply put, the market generally calls high-quality timber 'old chicken wing wood' and inferior timber 'new chicken wing wood.'"
"Old chicken wing wood usually refers to Burmese chicken wing wood, while new chicken wing wood generally refers to the African chicken wing wood used to make this screen. Its heartwood is blackish brown with a slight yellow tint, often marked by black stripes. Its grain is extremely coarse, and it has the lowest density. It doesn't sink in water, is relatively brittle, somewhat lacking