Thieves knew quality when they saw it

THIEVES who stole antique rosewood furniture from the Grand View Garden at Qingpu District had exquisite taste, police said yesterday.

On Saturday morning, garden staff were aghast to find expensive chairs and tables from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties missing - cheaper items were untouched.

Police were called when garden staff found door locks had been cut off at the Bamboo Lodge and the Rice Fragrance Village in the garden.

One round table and two chairs in the Bamboo Lodge, as well as several traditional big square tables, a credence and four chairs in the Rice Fragrance Village were missing.

An employee of the garden said the thieves must have been aware of the value of the items as the furniture pieces that had been stolen were all antiques made from rosewood, while other items were relatively new and of little value.

"The ones stolen had been carefully selected," he said. "The big round table which was stolen from the Bamboo Lodge is made from rosewood and of very high quality - some of the items stolen had marble features.

"The table had exquisite workmanship and would fetch a high price."

Some workers in the garden speculated there must have been a gang of thieves who had staked the place out before moving in.

Others insisted it was an "inside job."

"The theft must have been well-planned as the security guards did not notice them when they stole the furniture," a worker said.

Qingpu District police believe the theft was committed during the night.

The Grand View Garden was set up in 1979 and modeled from scenes described in "A Dream of Red Mansions," a classic Chinese novel, and is typical of Qing Dynasty architecture.

Many pieces of the furniture were of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

"The old-fashioned rosewood furniture was the soul of the garden," a staff member said.