Qing Building and Garden Elements
QING STYLE
The last imperial dynasty from 1644 to 1912 was a time of change in China, beginning with the invasion by Manchurian forces that ended the Ming dynasty and established the Shunzhi Emperor. The expansion of exportation and trade that had bolstered the arts during the Ming era continued, as Qing dynasty furniture involved the same attention to craftsmanship with expert construction techniques in hardwood pieces that were assembled with mortise and tenon joints rather than nails or glue. Together, these eras comprise a golden age of Chinese furniture design.
Ming-style furniture is simple and elegant with clean lines. Chairs of the period and other Ming furniture made an impression on Scandinavian modernist Hans Wegner and his streamlined seating, for example. Whereas Qing-style furniture is elaborate, with an increasing influence from the West leading to lavish carving inspired by the European Baroque and Rococo styles. And while many of the forms that define examples of the latter are common within classical Chinese furniture, such as curving and folding chairs as well as large screens, Qing designs are laden with ornamentation. Frequently, the carved motifs and inlaid designs in mother-of-pearl were auspicious, such as peonies for wealth or dragons for luck. Bats were symbols of happiness in the design of Qing furniture, with one of the characters in the word for bat, bianfu, being a homophone for fu, or “fortune.”
While several types of wood were used in the construction of Qing beds, tables, storage pieces and seating, today’s collectors know that the most prized were the rare rosewoods zitan and huanghuali. They were both sourced from Hainan, China’s largest island, and are marked by a rich luster that occurs naturally, without the application of lacquer or other decorative materials. Many of the most popular woods were imported from southeast Asia, adding to their value. Red sandalwood was also sought after for its durability and connection with Chinese medicine, with some chairs being made for health benefits.
Find a collection of antique Qing tea tables, stools, benches, decorative objects and more furniture on 1stDibs.
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Style: Qing
Pair of Chinese Qing Dynasty Carved Limestone Pedestals
Located in Austin, TX
A pair of Chinese carved limestone architectural drum form pedestals, Qing Dynasty, mid 19th century, China.
Masterfully carved, each pedestal is in two pieces. The top in the form a drum carved with "nails" surrounding the top, with relief carvings to the sides of opposing qilin, taotie masks, and scrolling foliage. The separately carved drums are supported by a lotus pedestal and surrounded by Buddhistic lions, all resting upon a high waisted table...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Stone
Chinese Qing Dynasty Period Red Lacquer Carved Shop Sign with Calligraphy
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Chinese Qing Dynasty period red lacquer shop sign from the 19th century with carved and lacquered calligraphy. This Chinese Qing Dynasty period shop sign is a remarkable artifact f...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Wood
Chinese Journey to the West Hitching Post, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Created in the mid-19th century, this charming limestone post likely once stood outside a building in China's Shanxi province as a spot to hitch livestock. Carved in reference to the Ming dynasty novel "Journey to the West," the monkey atop the post depicts Sun Wukong, the Monkey King...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Antique Asian Carved Foo Dog Lion Architectural Corbels, a Pair
Located in Forney, TX
A magnificent pair of Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) antique Chinese architectural elements with beautifully aged patina. circa 1900
Most impressive large scale, likely sculptural corbels from a Buddhist temple or imperial palace, late 19th / early 20th century, each intricately hand carved with very fine detailing, similarly styled pair, modeled as guardian foo lion, depicted with outstretched arched body, mouth ajar, clutching floral ball, having elaborate openwork carvings, with scattered remnants of original polychrome paint remaining.
The highly decorative architectural salvaged ornamental building elements presented on custom made hand carved wooden sculpture stands...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Wood, Paint
Large 19th Century Lacquered Black Signboard with Red Calligraphy, Qing Dynasty
Located in Yonkers, NY
A large Qing Dynasty period black signboard from the 19th century, with red calligraphy. Crafted during the 19th century Qing Dynasty, this large signboard once adorned a temple, gui...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Wood
19th Century Qing Dynasty Carved Wood Panel with Cloud Motifs and Guardian Lion
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Chinese Qing dynasty carved wooden architectural panel from the 19th century, with pierced cloudy motifs and guardian lion. Hand-carved du...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Wood
Chinese Studded Limestone Drum
Located in Chicago, IL
This slender stone drum stool was carved from a solid block of limestone with simple form and minimal decoration. The top and bottom are ringed with raised studs, a design meant to i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Late Qing Dynasty Red Lacquered Shop Sign with Carved Calligraphy
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Chinese late Qing Dynasty period red lacquered shop sign with hand carved calligraphy and black and yellow frame. Showcasing a rich history, this late Qing Dynasty period Chinese s...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Wood
Pair of 19th Century Chinese Stone Fu Lion Guardians
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of 19th century carved limestone Fu dogs with sinister smiles and furled brows once guarded the entrance to one of provincial China's grand homes. One peers up and the othe...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Limestone Chrysanthemum Trough, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
Prized mounts once took refreshment from this stone trough, carved from a solid block of limestone more than one hundred years ago. Once purely functional, the trough is celebrated t...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Pair of Chinese Stone Fu Lion Guardians, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of limestone fu lion-dogs once protected a grand courtyard home in 19th-century China. Skillfully carved in attentive postures, the mythical lions are known as “shizi,” pow...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
$13,880 / set
Qing Dynasty Chinese 19th Century Stone Temple Pedestal with Hand-Carved Motifs
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Chinese Qing Dynasty period stone temple pedestal from the 19th century with hand-carved motifs. Created in China during the Qing Dynasty, this temple pedestal features a linear si...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Stone
Chinese Qing Dynasty Period Blue Glazed Garden Seat with Floral Motifs on Base
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Chinese Qing Dynasty period garden seat from the 19th century, with blue glaze, pierced top and floral motifs. Created in China during the Qing Dynasty period, this garden seat fea...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Ceramic
Pair of Chinese Black Lacquer Courtyard Doors, C. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This impressive set of doors dates to the turn of the century and originated as the outermost entrance gate to a traditional courtyard home in northern China. The pair is crafted of northern elm (yumu) and finished with dark black lacquer and hand-worked iron hardware. Bands of studded iron reinforce the fronts and simple iron plates secure the door latch and round door pulls...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Iron
Chinese Ishi Sashi Ingot Weight, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Today known by the Japanese name “ishi-sashi,” meaning “awesome stone padlock,” this type of stone weight was used as part of intensive martial arts training. Hand-carved from solid ...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Immortal Peach Finial, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This carved limestone charm promises longevity in the form of the immortal peach. According to Chinese mythology, the Jade Emperor’s palace was surrounded by peach trees that provided ripe fruit every three thousand years. A single bite of this charmed fruit...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Reverse Glass Table Screen with Floral Still Life, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Prevalent in fine Chinese interiors as early as the Tang dynasty (618-906), standing screens with decorative panels served numerous functions as portable architecture. Used to sectio...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Glass, Wood
Monumental Chinese Limestone Drum, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This monumental drum stool was hand-carved from solid limestone by artisans in Shanxi province over two centuries ago. Drum-form stools such as this were traditionally used in gardens and outdoor...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Quadrilobe Lattice Courtyard Panel, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This elegant, 19th-century door panel evokes life in a traditional courtyard home, where the openwork lattice design allowed light and air to flow into the inner rooms while maintain...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Fir
Chinese Monumental Mill Wheel, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Hewn from pine and held together with iron hardware, this provincial wooden wheel is a remarkable example of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship. Its monumental scale suggests it was u...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Iron
Chinese White Marble Drum
Located in Chicago, IL
This narrow drum stool was carved from a solid block of white marble with a minimalist tapered design. The stool is subtly etched with thin grooves around the top, suggestive of the ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Marble
19th Century Chinese Iron Bell
Located in Chicago, IL
This rustic, 19th-century iron bell once pealed in celebration or gave notice of important events in a town in northern China. Marked with holes to affix the...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Iron
Set of Four Chinese Courtyard Door Panels, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
A hallmark of Chinese architecture, tall door panels such as these were used in provincial courtyard homes to easily open up a room to the outdoors. Designed with solid wood panels instead of lattice windows, these door panels were likely installed facing the street, used to protect the home rather than provide decoration. The doors were originally linked by hinges set in opposite directions, allowing the doors to fold upon themselves as they open. Instead of the elaborate carvings often found on Qing-dynasty doors...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Brass
Chinese Path Marker, c. 1908
Located in Chicago, IL
Happening upon an intersection, a traveler in Qing-dynasty China would have been grateful for the guidance of this limestone path marker. Still bearing traces of its original pigmentation, each side of this marker is inscribed with directions. One side directs towards the Zhen De Teng household, another towards the Liang family, and a third towards the North East Road. The fourth inscription announces the year of its construction, the 33rd year of Emperor Guangxu (1908). This second-to-the-last emperor...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
$12,800
Late Qing Dynasty Pair Chinese Hongmu Rosewood Drum Stools, circa 1900
Located in Dallas, TX
A matched pair of antique Asian carved perfectly symmetrical barrel stools, late 19th-early 20th century. Made of precious hongmu, a type of rosewood, eac...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Rosewood
Chinese Etched Limestone Trough, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
Prized mounts once took refreshment from this stone trough, carved from a solid block of limestone more than hundred years ago. Once purely functional, the trough is celebrated today...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Grand Chinese Qing Dynasty Village Bell, circa 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This lovely Qing-dynasty bell once pealed in a Chinese village, sounding out in celebration or giving notice of important events. Expertly forged, the cast-iron bell is detailed with characters in intricate relief, and its exaggerated scallop rim is traced with oversized rivets. Frosted with snow or lit from within by flickering candles, this sculptural bell takes on a magical presence in the winter...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Iron
Chinese Iron Courtyard Bell, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This rustic, 19th century iron bell once pealed in celebration or gave notice of important events in a town in northern China. The bell's wide mouth and ridged bead lines give this b...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Iron
18th Century Chinese Stone Guardian Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
This ancient stone guardian lion shizi was carved by hand out of a single block of limestone. The artisan beckoned the guardian out from the stone, manipulating the unyielding materi...
Category
Early 18th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Early 20th Century Chinese Grain Tub
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand carved from a single piece of wood, this oblong basin has fantastic character. Once used to hold grain as a part of the threshing process, the early 20th century tub displays the warmth of oakwood, now beautifully aged with a rich patina. The tub's unusual shape offers a rustic charm and fits seamlessly into modern interiors as a shallow planter...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Elm
Chinese Round Hitching Stone, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Unlike many objects of its kind, this limestone hitching stone was carved into a simple rounded shape without any figural references. Used to secure a horse by rope or reins, the sto...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Ceramic Glazed Urn, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
At once ancient and contemporary, this beautiful urn speaks to the timelessness of Chinese ceramic design. Made in northern China in the early 20th century, the urn pays respect to m...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Ceramic
Pair of Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Stands
Located in London, GB
These excellent wooden antique Chinese stands are each decorated on two out of their four faces with mother-of-pearl inlay in a simple yet effect...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
$9,048 Sale Price / set
30% Off
Antique Chinese Soapstone Statue on foot figure Wise Men
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Condition: 1 chip close to right feet. Also the alter he is standing on was broken in 2 and restored.
Dimension: 25.5cm height
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Soapstone
Price Upon Request
Qing building and garden elements for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Qing building and garden elements for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage building and garden elements created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include building and garden elements, asian art and furniture, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with stone, limestone and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Qing building and garden elements made in a specific country, there are Asia, China, and East Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for building and garden elements differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $128 and tops out at $128,000 while the average work can sell for $2,800.
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