A furniture exhibition was hosted at an old house located in the Xuhui district of Shanghai on Friday by TON, an over 160-year-old private Czech furniture company, which well-illustrated the integrated design of architecture and furniture between the East and West.

Speaking at the event, the Consul General of the Czech Republic in Shanghai Richard Krpac said Chinese customers know how to appreciate artistic quality, beauty, and crafts. 

TON furniture appeared in old photos of Chinese families as early as the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Richard Krpac, Consul General of the Czech Republic in Shanghai delivers a speech at the event on Friday in Shanghai. Photo: Courtesy of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Shanghai

TON factory is actually the embodiment of the 1920s and 1930s because a majority of their products can be traced back to that period, said Krpac, noting that the Czech company is in the tradition of manual work because every single chair showcased at the exhibition is handmade. 

The Consul General said it's his first time attending a public event since the epidemic outbreak. Inviting Chinese people to visit Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, he said they should soon start preparing for a trip when the Czech consulate starts issuing visas.