Shanghai-style furniture, often referred to as "Old Shanghai Furniture," refers specifically to Western-style and Chinese-Western fusion furniture that emerged and was produced in Shanghai between 1843 and 1949. This category includes Western-style furniture imported into Shanghai, modern furniture manufactured locally in the 1920s and 1930s, and the distinctive "Shanghai Attic" style popular in the 1930s and 1940s. It excludes traditional Chinese antique furniture.
**Craft Features**
**1. Localization of Western Furniture**
At the end of the 19th century, Western furniture in Shanghai began to incorporate elements of Chinese design, leading to the formation of the earliest Chinese-Western style in Shanghai-style furniture. Western-style furniture started being made in Shanghai, with local materials like nanmu (a type of cypress wood) being used. The introduction of foreign manufacturing techniques and new materials such as plywood, chemical coatings, rubber, and veneer brought significant changes to furniture construction, boosting the development of the industry. This period marked a historic transformation in Shanghai’s furniture-making sector.
**2. Westernization of Chinese Furniture**
By the 1930s, traditional Chinese mahogany furniture in Shanghai gradually evolved into a more Western-style design. A notable example was the "Modern Room" furniture, which combined international trends such as Italian and British styles. Zhang Wanli Woodware, an old-style Chinese furniture store established during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, adapted to market demands by producing these modern pieces. Their craftsmanship was meticulous, with attention to detail in finishing and painting, resulting in smooth, mirror-like surfaces. This shift from ornate traditional designs to sleek, functional, and elegant forms marked a major evolution in Chinese furniture design. The popularity of the Modern Room led to widespread imitation and continuous improvement across the industry.
**Related reading:** Popular furniture styles on Shanghai-style furniture
**Redwood Furniture Packaging Method**
During the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Shanghai furniture industry nearly came to a standstill. In early 1939, with the war moving westward, the Shanghai concession became an isolated area, temporarily stabilizing the situation. While existing mahogany furniture stock was sold out, raw materials were scarce. To survive, furniture shops began acquiring and restoring old pieces, repainting them for resale. Additionally, they restructured old mahogany furniture—disassembling old square pieces and cutting thick parts like legs and tops into thin slices. These were then glued onto white wood using yellow fish glue and gelatin to create new mahogany-style furniture. Although the quality during this time was lower, it marked the beginning of a new technique in furniture making under limited resources.
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