The Story of the Coin Chest Bed

An Old Guard and His Unusual Bed

In all my years of collecting antiques, one of my most memorable experiences involved an old guard and his unusual “bed.”

At the time, I was exploring the Taichung area in search of my next treasure and decided to visit the historic Wufeng Lin Family Mansion. The Lins were one of Taiwan’s most prominent families during the Qing Dynasty, renowned for their majestic homes across the island. The Wufeng house, in particular, was famous for its grand scale and rich history.

To enter the premises, I first had to pass through the guardhouse. As I was speaking with the guard, I noticed a beautiful bench built from wonderfully grained camphor wood, with a solid back, sides, and a simple bamboo mat, that served—I later learned—as his bed. 

It stopped me in my tracks! How is this beautiful work of craftsmanship just… here! I looked straight at the old guard and asked him about it. He was kind and invited me in to look more closely at it. The bench, as I still thought it was at the moment, had exquisite dovetail joinery, with thick slabs of well grained camphor wood, and a fascinating history: the guard told me that it had been in use for well over a century. However, as far as he was concerned, it was one of the most uncomfortable ‘beds’ he had ever slept on.

I loved the thought of his clever use of an Coin Chest Bench and I asked him what he would prefer instead in return for letting me have it. He said, “A modern Western bed with a softer mattress.”