Among tropical hardwoods the most prized of all is zitan , an exceptionally rare species. Zitan is an evergreen tree, and grows slowly, reaching 30 feet in height and 10 inches in diameter after 300 years. Because of its extremely slow growth, zitan is only available in limited quantities. Zitan is further divided into two categories - da-yie-tan and xiao-yie-tan. Xia-yie-tan only grows in one region of the world, India and rarely grows to be more than 10 centimeters in diameter. Zitan is so rare that it is virtually unknown in the West, and until recently was thought to be practically extinct. In ancient China it was said that the dark purple color of zitan resembled the color reserved for the use of Qing dynasty. As a result, only the imperial household was allowed to use zitan in China from the 17th to the 19th century.
From time to time, chairs of zitan are offered on eBay for as little as $200-$300. Of course, these are doll house furniture with not a single component being large enough to make even a slimline.
As for zitan or jitan, they are variations on the same Chinese words as they have been translated.
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