The Miniatures Museum of Taiwan in Taipei is one of those odd little museums you’re not really sure whether to go to or not. Just like Taipei’s Story Land, which I must have walked by a couple of dozen times before deciding to actually see what it is about, and when I did it was terrific fun. So was the miniatures museum. It’s just a very small place hosting lots of little miniature dolls and houses, but it’s interesting and quite nicely done.
Their website explains :
It is generally believed that Germans was the first nation to bring miniature arts in the form of Dollhouse. Some four hundred years ago Germans found dollhouse an effective mean to teach their children, especially daughters, the way to keep the house in order. This tells the fact that most antique dollhouses now in Germany are made as kitchen or living room.
However, the dollhouse art was confined within palaces and nobles until nineteenth century when the hobby was introduced to England . Once known to the general public it has soon flourished and variety of dollhouses appear to depict many distinguished architecture and their interior furnishings.
Then in hope to precisely conserve the evolution of the living style in different era and various areas, a new form of dollhouse, now called "Roombox" came into light. The miniature art becomes more and more sophisticated. Now we see specialists in furniture, in painting, in lighting fixture, in upholstery, in porcelain making, in glasswork, and so forth. They all contribute to form contemporary dollhouses and roomboxes that are so amazing and intriguing, and historically correct, too.
Wikipedia elaborates :
The Miniatures Museum of Taiwan is the first museum to collect miniatures in Asia. The museum was founded on March 28, 1997 by Mr Lin Wen-ren and his wife. It is located in Taipei City, Taiwan
Miniatures originated within German palaces of the 16th century as tools for teaching aristocratic children, but appreciation for the art form did not pass to other parts of the world until much later during the 19th century. Today, miniature masterpieces are found throughout Europe and North America covering a wide range of subjects, from complete settings to intricate accessories of tableware and wall paintings. Reproductions tend to follow a 1:12 standard scale of accuracy, or half scale at 1:24.
Taiwan’s museum is the first to specialize in contemporary miniatures and features two basic formats: "doll house" and room box with cut away views. It is ranked second in the world, boasting a collection of nearly 200 items. Founder Lin Wen-Ren and his wife are responsible for sourcing each item while travelling in Europe and the United States.
Here, have a look…
Lovely, isn’t it?
More? check out :