The specialist guide to Asian antiques and exotic home decor from the far east.

I get so backed up with blog posts, because there is so many interesting and fascinating things to see and talk about. And being detailed oriented, I really want to spend the time to talk about each item in detail, the history behind it, where it comes from and all the other details that make it all so interesting. Unfortunately work calls and so I must to sometimes, just simply be brief! With that said, here is an interesting photo I took in the factory a few days ago. This is a Chinese mahjong table which needed to have the top floating panel replaced due to cracking or some other form of damage. What makes this so interesting, is how they accomplish this.

In order to match the color of the original wood, the replacement panel must be lightened. To darken a piece there are several methods the most common one being a coat of stain or varnish.  However, in this case the issue is the opposite: the wood here is too dark to match the base color of the original material. So how does one lighten the color of wood? By applying an alcohol based solution and some heat, the color of the wood will essentially lighten thus matching the color of the original color.

The end result would look something like this table sold by EMWA  Furniture in Australia.

Related posts:

1. Furniture Repairs: Improper restoration causes this “Old Shanghai” table-top to buckle and split
2. The real deal: Looking back a few hundred years at an authentic chinese alter table
3. Tibetan painted furniture: Dinning table made from an old door.
4. Guide to antique doors and antique door panels.
5. Wood furniture polishes and wood furniture care