In the West, fashions in the arts change almost as rapidly as they do in matters of dress. In China, while changes may be traced if one delves deeply enough into the past, one finds that they have been very gradual and have taken place during a long period of transition. This applies to practically every phase of Chinese life and culture.

It is all the more interesting, then, to be able to record a new departure from the conventional in so important a craft as the manufacture of furniture, such as is taking place in Shanghai to-day.

The impact of our Western culture upon that of China has naturally had marked results; but up to the present, in the realm of furniture manufacture it has produced nothing worthy of consideration.

Attempts have been made to adapt Chinese art motifs to furniture of European style, but so far with little success. Everywhere Chinese manufacturers of European furniture have sprung up, but their production, except in the case of the few who have catered to Europeans, is bad beyond belief.

Recently, however, a marked change has been taking place. European interior decorators, mainly women, have pioneered the way in adapting Chinese furniture, objets d 'art and decorations to the needs of Western homes, both in China and abroad; which in turn has called for a definite adaptation in the furniture itself. To meet this demand experiments have been made in various directions, till at last a new and successful school of furniture manufacture has come into existence. Indeed, development in this new art-craft is taking place under our very eyes.

It began with the use of carved wood-work decorations, such as are noticeable on shop fronts and in temples in Shanghai and other cities in this part of China, and on the well known Ningpo beds as ornaments in European or American homes. This was followed by the use of pieces of carved wood as decorative panels in such objects of household use as mirrors, cupboards and screens, the old Chinese carvings being artistically built into newly made furniture and the whole designed and coloured so as to have a distinctly Oriental appearance, yet to be suited to the requirements of Occidental culture.

This particular type of furniture became so popular that the supplies of suitable old Chinese carvings soon showed signs of exhaustion, and, to meet the ever growing demand, those engaged in the new industry have resorted to the simple expedient of making the required carvings, using the older forms and motifs as models.

From this it has been but a step to the manufacture of beautifully carved furniture, which is rapidly replacing in popular esteem the make- shift products in which old carvings are set in new frames.

While the old carvings are very beautiful, and are handsomely lacquered and coloured, they in no wise exceed in beauty of design or workmanship the new, which are really remarkable for their artistic merits.

To-day any piece of furniture may be ordered, with specifications as to measurements and general requirements, only the design and decoration being left to the manufacturer, and in due course the latter will turn out, at a ridiculously low cost, as handsome an object of household use as ever graced the halls of princes or kings.

The wood used is almost exclusively teak, and in the final product may be painted, stained, or merely polished or varnished. One popular method of treatment is a combination of gilding and painting, the result being very attractive, and extremely Oriental in effect. But the handsomest pieces are those in which the natural colour of the wood is enhanced and enriched by the application of a varnish. A sideboard, cupboard, dressing table or desk, treated thus and with brass hinges, plates and catches or locks attached, would delight the soul of any artist. The variety in the form and designs of the carving is a never ending source of pleasure, particularly is this the case with the extremely beautiful screens that are being turned out. The technique is being consistently applied and includes the framing of pictures and mirrors, so that a whole room or house may be furnished harmoniously.

It is safe to predict a great future for the industry that this new art-craft is calling into being. At present it is hardly more than a year old; but is certain to develop rapidly and to large proportions, since a demand from abroad will inevitably arise.

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