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How can I tell if my Chinese furniture is antique?

1 Answer
How can I tell if my Chinese furniture is antique?

To determine the age of a Chinese furniture piece, look carefully at the joinery and finish. Natural expansion and contraction of the wood over time will cause a joint to protrude or retract, distorting a once-seamless fit. Antique lacquer finishes become crackled and worn over time. Areas of exposed wood, such as the underside of a table, the footrest of a chair, or the back of a cabinet should appear raw and dry compared to the finished surface. With use, the legs of tables and chairs become weathered near the bottom from precipitation and use.

PAGODA RED
PAGODA REDOctober 7, 2020
Shop for Painted Chinese Cabinets on 1stDibs
Chinese Crackled Lacquer Noodle Cabinet, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This painted Chinese cabinet dates to the mid-19th century and has a richly aged patina that only
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture

Materials

Elm

Chinese Painted Book Cabinet, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
painted cabinet in a children's bedroom or playroom as an unexpected bookcase or toy chest. Additional
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Cabinets

Materials

Elm

Chinese Painted Altar Cabinet, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Made of Chinese northern elm, this altar cabinet once contained the essentials for ancestor rituals
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture

Materials

Brass

Low Chinese Painted Book Cabinet, Ming Dynasty
Located in Chicago, IL
this 19th century book chest. Expertly constructed in China's Shanxi province, the low cabinet
Category

Antique Mid-17th Century Chinese Ming Furniture

Materials

Wood

Chinese Enchanted Garden Coffer, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
scrollwork traces the outer frame. Contrasted by the richly aged black lacquer finish, the painted decoration
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sideboards

Materials

Elm

Pair of Chinese Painted Compound Cabinets, Late Ming Dynasty
Located in Chicago, IL
Seamlessly constructed and lacquered black, this pair of spectacular Ming-dynasty compound cabinets
Category

Antique Early 17th Century Chinese Ming Furniture

Materials

Brass

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Tibetan Nomad s Hide Trunk, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This fantastic antique trunk from the mid-19th century once belonged to a nomadic traveler of the Tibetan Plateau or the Himalayas. One of the most unique items in our collection, th...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Tibetan Tibetan Trunks and Luggage

Materials

Wood, Hide

Chinese Painted Snack Box with Deer Lingzhi, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This wooden Chinese box is a 19th-century snack box, once presented as a gift for a holiday or special occasion. To the delight of the recipients, the box would have been filled with...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Boxes

Materials

Wood

Pair of Chinese Sword Leg Wine Tables, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Originally used as incense stands, game tables, or as gathering spot for food & drink, these 19th-century Chinese wine tables demonstrate the timeless appeal of traditional furniture...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture

Materials

Elm

Petite Ming Shipwreck Box, c. 1500
Located in Chicago, IL
The soft, matte texture and eroded wear of this petite porcelain box suggest it spent many years submerged in saltwater, likely excavated from a sunken trade ship carrying ceramic ex...
Category

Antique 16th Century Chinese Ming Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

Petite Chinese Sticky Rice Basket
Located in Chicago, IL
This woven basket from Guizhou province celebrates the beautiful simplicity of a hand-woven object. Expertly woven of thin bamboo strips, the little basket was originally used for pr...
Category

20th Century Chinese Rustic Antiquities

Materials

Bamboo

Chinese Blue White Twin Dragon Censer, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This 19th-century porcelain incense burner once resided upon the family altar of a provincial Qing-dynasty home. Brushed with cobalt underglaze, the blue and white censer is hand-pai...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

Finely Woven Chinese Sewing Box, c. 1875
Located in Chicago, IL
Finely woven around a painted lacquer panel, this round sewing box from the late 19th century is a beautiful example of Chinese basketry. The box is woven of thin bamboo strips with ...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Boxes

Materials

Bamboo

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