Taipei Air Station - 1966 - - - " What you have in the end are memories"......... Photo Courtesy of Richard Reesh.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Taiwan Furniture - Superb Pieces

There were a lot of furniture purchases made by American families, single and unaccompanied service members, during our years in Taiwan. 

Once you saw some of the Taiwan manufactured pieces in friends homes or rooms, we were so impressed at the quality and prices, many of us were on our way to Ricardo Lynn out in Shilin, or to one of the other furniture manufacturing companies in the area.


It was easy to envision Taiwan furniture pieces siting in our homes or rooms.

It was so beautiful.  The furniture company's craftsmen would built to your specifications. 


Where could you get such magnificent furniture made to your likes and desires, anywhere in the US?  For that matter, afford the pieces?

  You could in Taiwan!

Today, Frank Smith, who we wrote about a couple weeks ago, describing his travel from  CONUS, and his arrival in Taipei, sent over another batch of beautiful photographs ... 

Here is a special piece of furniture that sits in his home today, more than 50 years after Frank returned to the US.



 Frank had this piece carved by the China Artistic Carved Furniture Company.  Their Taipei store, located kitty-corner across the street from the famous, Rose Marie Restaurant, which sat on the corner of Nanking, renamed (Nanjing) Road and Chung Shan North Road.

 Here, the famous, Rose Marie Restaurant, notice the restaurant name on both ends of the building.  

In the photo above, we are looking north, toward the old MAAG Compound, later HSA.  The furniture store would have been off to the right of this photo, on the corner.  

Looking at the address of the store, 37-9, Section 2, Chung Shan North Road, it looks like there were at least 9 shops located on that corner address. 


Frank sat down with the manager and described what he wanted. They discussed design, and wood, Frank settled on Camphor wood and the price was agreed to.

Frank was told to return at a certain date to pickup his piece.

Frank said he returned a number of times, and found that the son, of the shop owner was  carving the wood that would become his beautiful bar.

The carving took more time that was first estimated and Frank visited often.

Finally, he was told to return to the shop the following day, and the work would be completed.

This piece could be described as a Bar or it could be described as one of many other things.
 It's a Bar and it's a storage piece for liquor.



Right side

                                                         Right side door open


Left side

Left side door open
Showing everything open from left side view

All open from front


Opened top


All closed back-up.


Sign attached to back of cabinet 

Perhaps someone reading this story purchased some carved furniture from this company.

We were blessed to have been stationed in Taiwan, so much beauty everywhere, even in it's furniture.

Thanks for looking...