Wood and shell on the same Yunxi

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RUMU’s mother-of-pearl plate edition of Yunxi describes this version as “bogwood (rippled Sichuan small-leaved zhennan golden-thread nanmu) + white mother-of-pearl”. At the front, the cloud-shaped wooden frame surrounds a pale shell plate. The back leaves a larger wooden surface on which to follow the rippled light and dark grain.

“Rippled” is the maker’s description of the selected wood’s pattern. The broad wooden surface contrasts with the pale shell plate; burial age is a separate question requiring testing.

The plate and track are part of the choice

This Yunxi release allows its track and plate to be changed. All four material versions ship with the cross-tone track, described as having high and low notes. The package also includes a resin plate with a random design and a tassel cord. The mother-of-pearl and resin plates are separate accessories.

The announcement also lists extra-dense, dense and stepped track accessories. Bogwood identifies the wood choice for this version; sound and feedback also depend on the track and configuration.

Preservation and wood species are separate descriptions

Bogwood is not a single tree species. RUMU further describes this Yunxi wood as Sichuan small-leaved zhennan. That remains the maker’s description of its stock: no independent species identification or age test of the finished piece is available here.

Bogwood is commonly used for wood preserved through prolonged burial. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s CAMEO entry for bog oak describes buried, preserved oak that becomes dark brown to nearly black. The entry specifically concerns oak; it does not identify Yunxi’s wood as oak or make all bogwood the same species.

Identify the version, then follow the grain

The same Yunxi announcement also lists PEI, African blackwood and bubinga burl versions paired with white mother-of-pearl. The cloud-shaped outline and pale shell plate appear across different body materials, so the material listing matters when identifying a photograph.

When looking at a bogwood piece, keep its wood description, pattern, component use and mechanical configuration separate. This leaves room to appreciate the shifting tones of the grain while keeping the chosen configuration clear.