Nanmu
Encyclopedia
Nanmu is a type of wood that was frequently used for boat building, architectural woodworking and wood art in China
. Ming Dynasty
era writings indicate this wood as superior durable softwood. A recent excavation of a tomb in Lija village in Jing'an County, Jiangxi Province found 47 coffins made of nanmu wood that are reported to be about 2500 years old dating back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty
period and belongs to the Dongyi
State of Xu.
The trees that produce nanmu wood are evergreens that have a long straight trunk which grow to 35 meters in height and one meter in girth. More than 30 varieties exist which are found south of the Yangtze River
. There are also nanmu trees on Hainan Island and in Vietnam
. Yangmu nanmu is found in Sichuan
. Zinan nanmu is found in southeast and south central China. Zinanmu nanmu is found in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhenjiang. Zhennan nanmu is found in Guizhou and Sichuan. The finest of all the nanmu woods is Hongmao Nanmu from Hainan Island.
Nanmu wood comes from several species of tree, including:
Nanmu is a very knotty wood. It does not react to humidity and temperature much in the way of expansion or contraction and makes superior furniture which tends not to get loose or crack because of changes in climate. Nanmu woods that are lighter in color and have loose grain are considered inferior.
Nanmu was used in architectural woodworking and boat-building due to its resistance to decay. The wood dries with little splitting or warping. After drying the wood is of medium-density and does not change shape. Nanmu can be sanded to a mirror finish.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
era writings indicate this wood as superior durable softwood. A recent excavation of a tomb in Lija village in Jing'an County, Jiangxi Province found 47 coffins made of nanmu wood that are reported to be about 2500 years old dating back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
period and belongs to the Dongyi
Dongyi
Dongyi was a collective term for people in eastern China and in lands located to the east of ancient China. People referred to as Dongyi vary across the ages.The early Dongyi culture was one of earliest neolithic cultures in China....
State of Xu.
The trees that produce nanmu wood are evergreens that have a long straight trunk which grow to 35 meters in height and one meter in girth. More than 30 varieties exist which are found south of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. There are also nanmu trees on Hainan Island and in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Yangmu nanmu is found in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
. Zinan nanmu is found in southeast and south central China. Zinanmu nanmu is found in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhenjiang. Zhennan nanmu is found in Guizhou and Sichuan. The finest of all the nanmu woods is Hongmao Nanmu from Hainan Island.
Nanmu wood comes from several species of tree, including:
- Phoebe nanmuPhoebe nanmuPhoebe nanmu is a species of evergreen tree in the Lauraceae family. It is endemic to southern China and Vietnam. P. nanmu is threatened by habitat loss due primarily to overcutting....
- Nantou litsea
- Konishi nathaphoebe
Nanmu is a very knotty wood. It does not react to humidity and temperature much in the way of expansion or contraction and makes superior furniture which tends not to get loose or crack because of changes in climate. Nanmu woods that are lighter in color and have loose grain are considered inferior.
Nanmu was used in architectural woodworking and boat-building due to its resistance to decay. The wood dries with little splitting or warping. After drying the wood is of medium-density and does not change shape. Nanmu can be sanded to a mirror finish.