From Lisbon to Taipei: The Mysterious Journey of the Vintage Glass "Begonia Glass"

How a vintage pattern connected two continents, and how we are rescuing it from the rubble of history

• The Anonymous Masterpiece

Walk into an old apartment in Lisbon, Portugal, built over 30 years ago, and you might find something surprisingly familiar: a delicate, embossed floral pattern on the windowpane. Travel 6,500 miles to a rainy alley in Taipei, and you will see the exact same pattern.

This is the Begonia Flower pattern.

Who designed it? History has lost the name of the original artist. It remains an anonymous masterpiece. But its presence tells a fascinating story of global trade, craftsmanship, and a golden era of manufacturing that linked Europe and Taiwan in the 1960s.

• A Journey Full Circle: The 60s Golden Era

While the technique of embossed glass (patterned glass) originated in Europe, it was on the island of Taiwan that it truly blossomed.

In the 1960s, Taiwan was a global powerhouse for glass manufacturing. Local factories didn't just import the technology from Europe; they mastered it. Taiwanese artisans improved the production methods and began designing unique, intricate patterns including the beloved Begonia which were then exported back to Europe and the rest of the world.

It was a time when Taiwan was the world's workshop. The glass you see in a vintage European home might very well have been crafted in a bustling Taiwanese factory half a century ago. It is a testament to a time when "Made in Taiwan" stood for rigorous industrial craftsmanship.

Begonia Flower

• The Fading Silhouette

However, times have changed. The glass industry has largely moved to China, and the kilns that fired these beautiful, textured panes in Taiwan have long since gone cold. The Begonia glass is no longer in production.

Today, this memory exists only in the crumbling corners of Taiwan’s old streets. As urban renewal and modernization sweep through the cities, old houses are torn down to make way for skyscrapers. With every demolition, these beautiful "scars of time" are shattered and lost forever.

We are racing against time. The glass that once connected continents is now becoming a pile of debris.

• Rescuing History: The Heritage Clock

At BraveOn, we cooperate with local artisans who scour demolition sites and old salvage yards to rescue these intact pieces of Begonia glass. It is a process of treasure hunting.

They don't just frame them; they give them a new heartbeat. By combining this rescued glass with reclaimed vintage wood, we transform them into the Heritage Wooden Clock.

Wooden Clock.

Each clock is unique. The wood bears the marks of its previous life, and the glass carries the light of the 1960s. When you hang this clock on your wall, you aren't just telling time; you are preserving a piece of history that traveled from Europe to Taiwan, survived the decades, and has now found a home with you.

It’s a reminder that beauty, like time, is precious and fleeting unless we choose to cherish it.