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Chinese Export Furniture

CHINESE EXPORT STYLE

Expanded trade between Europe and East Asia, starting in the 16th century, led to a booming market for exported goods, particularly furniture. This was bolstered by the establishment of the Dutch and English East India Companies at the beginning of the 17th century. From folding screens and chairs to lacquer tables and silver, Chinese Export furniture was in demand and regularly copied and imitated, leading to styles like chinoiserie and Chinese Chippendale.

The expansion of exporting that had strengthened the arts during the Ming dynasty continued into the Qing dynasty era — Chinese designers made many furniture pieces specifically for export, resulting in distinctive designs that mixed traditional techniques with forms appealing to foreign buyers. For instance, cabinetmakers in Canton (modern-day Guangzhou) were prolific in crafting hardwood furniture for export in European styles that involved the expert joinery techniques of Chinese furniture. Designs for Chinese Export porcelain, cabinets, decorative objects and other furniture were often more ornately adorned than they would be for a local audience, such as with mother-of-pearl overlays or surfaces featuring lavish pictorial scenes or gold on black motifs. Some were even commissioned by wealthy European families to be adorned with their coat of arms.

Because lacquer furniture was especially prized, and the resin used to create it was difficult to import as it would harden during the long voyage, artisans in China and Japan exported numerous lacquer pieces. Long before lacquer made its way to Japan, the Chinese treated the material differently. They used it to create smooth, glossy surfaces, but also for carving, an art that began in the 12th century and is exclusively Chinese. These pieces are called cinnabar lacquer after the powdered mercury sulfide (cinnabar) employed to produce their characteristic red hue. A popular form for export was a compact cabinet with drawers, usually displayed on a small table. Undecorated furniture built in Europe was also shipped to China to be lacquered. The international exchange of design would influence furniture into the 19th century and later, informing styles such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau.

Find a collection of antique Chinese Export tables, beds, cupboards, table lamps and more furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Chinese Export
Recognized Seller Listings
Chinese Export 18th Century Lacquer Bureau on Stand
Located in London, GB
A fine and rare mid 18th century Chinese Export lacquer bureau on stand. Probably made in Canton specifically for the export trade to meet the demands of the European market. Beautifully decorated throughout with gilded decorations on a black lacquer background. The writing section is fitted with double serpentine fronted drawers and pigeon holes - all profusely decorated with sprigs of flowers, foliage and butterflies. The apron frieze contains three working drawers, the central drawer arcaded. With a small pull out pen drawers...
Category

Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Lacquer

Antique Chinese Export Silver Fruiting Branch Bowl
Located in New York, NY
Chinese export silver bowl, ca 1910. Curved and lobed with molded scalloped and ogee rim; raised foot. Applied fruiting branches: Buddha’s hand, pomegranate, lychee, and star fruit. ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Antique Chinese Han Dynasty Style Bronze Ritual Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style verdigis bronze ritual urn with raised archaistic patterns wrapping its form and accented with small rings on two sides beneath the opening. Charact...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Silver Chinese Export Tea and Coffee Service, by Tuck Chang Co., Shanghai
Located in London, GB
Silver Chinese Export tea and coffee service, by Tuck Chang & Co., Shanghai Chinese, Late 19th century Measures: Milk jug: height 8cm, width 14cm, depth 10cm Coffee pot: height 25...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Pots
Located in Queens, NY
2 Asian Chinese-style (20th Century) blue and white porcelain jardinieres with scenes (PRICED EACH)
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Monumental Imari-Style Lidded Light Orange Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese monumental, lidded porcelain floor vase celebrating Japanese Imari ware in both palette and design, featuring natural scenes of birds and flowering trees set against a light-...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Green and Red Lu Xing Wealth and Prosperity Deific Porcelain Figurine
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) glazed porcelain statue of Lu Xing, one of the deities of the three stars considered essential in Chinese astrology, each...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Multicolor Glazed Porcelain Pheasant Sculpture
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Mid 20th Century) porcelain sculpture of a pheasant with colorful, gold-outlined plumes perched on a rocky formation of green and brown.  
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Off-White and Blue Vine Lidded Porcelain Ginger Jar
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) lidded porcelain ginger jar with a dark blue vine and floral motif against a white ground, and bold blue characters on 4 sides. Wear throughout...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Set of 4 Chinese Black Lacquer Geisha Screen Panels
Located in Queens, NY
Set of 4 Asian Chinese style (20th Century) black lacquer screen panels depicting geishas, intaglio etched with painting (PRICED AS SET).
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Paint

Chinese Blue and White Peacock Motif Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) large off-white, porcelain urn with a blue peacock amid florals and two blue scrolled handles along the neck. Light wear."
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Two Chinese Qing Dynasty Porcelain Vases with Gilt Bronze Bases
Located in London, GB
These porcelain vases are exquisite pieces of antique Chinese decorative art. They were crafted in the late Qing dynasty, which lasted f...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Vintage Chinese Tole and Iron Potted Flower Sculpture
Located in Queens, NY
Vintage Chinese tole and iron decorative potted flower sculpture with white flowers connected to a green multi-leaf stalk, mounted in a square yellow and blue metal base pot with sca...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Iron

Chinese Export Porcelain Dish with Dutch Decoration of a Voc Ship
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A Chinese export porcelain dish with Dutch decoration of a VOC ship Circa 1700-1710, the Dutch decoration circa 1720-1730 Diam. 21.5 cm ? Originally l...
Category

Early 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Celadon Revolving Pattern Porcelain Urns
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese celadon porcelain urns with continuous raised swirling motifs flowing up the slender, fluted necks. (PRICED AS PAIR). Condition: Good; Wear consistent with age and use
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

A superb Chinese export famille rose porcelain VOC teapot and pattipan saucer
Located in Amsterdam, NL
China, circa 1730 Porcelain decorated in rose-pink, yellow and soft blue- green enamels, on a shield a lion rampant crowned, holding in his left paw a bunch of seven arrows symbolis...
Category

1730s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Chinese Export Silver Goblet
Located in London, GB
A rare Chinese Export Silver Goblet depicting the story of the Three Kingdoms. The goblet embossed and chased with characters from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, including Zhuge ...
Category

1870s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Export Silver Card Case
Located in London, GB
Chinese Export Silver Card Case, circa 1835, embossed and chased with a scene of figures in battle, while the other side depicts scenes of farming, horse riding, and studying. The ed...
Category

1830s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Bone and Metal Dagger
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese-style (19th Century) dagger with a bone and silver-plate handle and sheath. Condition: Good; Wear consistent with age and use
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bone

Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Patinated Bronze Footed Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a patinated bronze urn carved with raised geometric patterned bands wrapping its form, sitting atop a round foot, and fitted with two curved...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Metal

Chinese Red Lacquered 4-Fold Screen with Carved Floral Frame
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese style (19th/20th century ) red and gold lacquered 4 fold screen featuring a carved floral frame and a Chinoiserie design. Antique Condition prior repairs
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Lacquer

Antique Chinese Alum Red Taishi Shaoshi Design Porcelain Vase Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese table lamp made from a 19th century porcelain vase mounted with wood and brass hardware as a lamp, with an alum red Taishi S...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Brass

18th-century Chinese Export Porcelain Famille Rose Wine Cooler
Located in Downingtown, PA
Elegant Tableware: Chinese Export Famille Rose Porcelain Wine Cooler Circa 1775 A finely potted and well-preserved Chinese Export porcelain vessel, functioning as either a wine co...
Category

1770s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Ceramic, Porcelain

Chinese White and Blue Figurative Porcelain Ginger Jar
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese white porcelain jar decorated with blue figures amid scroll detailing with a finial topped lid. Condition: Good; Wear consistent with age and use
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Chinese Carved Wooden Gold and Red Decorative Box
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese circular wooden box with carved top character design and carved geometric foot, painted in gold and red with a fitted lid and fine black painted border pattern.    
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Wood

Chinese Rose Quartz Toad
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese rose quartz figure of a toad standing on a teak base (20th Cent)
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Teak

Pair of Chinese White Porcelain Famille Rose Lidded Jars
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese white porcelain famille rose jars painted with verdant trees inhabitated by insects growing up and across the fronts and charac...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Extremely Fine Chinese Silk Embroidered Bed-Cover for the Dutch Market
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A Chinese red silk, embroidered bed cover Guangdong or Macao, mid-18th century The red silk cover, one one side elaborately embroided in co...
Category

Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Gold, Silver

Pair of Chinese Blue White Dragon Motif Jade Pot Spring Bottle Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese blue and white porcelain vases with jade pot spring bottle forms traditionally found in Chinese porcelain, a dragon design that is painted in the style of the Yuan D...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Blue and White Underwater Motif Porcelain Pots
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese porcelain pots in dark navy hues decorated with white underwater motifs capturing the silhouettes of fish and vegetation (PRICED AS PAIR).
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Celadon Porcelain Pot with Bird
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese-style (20th Century) celadon porcelain jardiniere with a bird and floral decoration.
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White and Blue Chrysanthemum and Bird Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) white and blue porcelain urn decorated with a bird amid flowering chrysanthemums, and accented with two navy scrolled handles along the neck. Sl...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Chinese Export Silver Blossom Butterfly Bowl
Located in New York, NY
Chinese export silver bowl, ca 1910. Curved and tapering with molded ogee rim; raised and spread foot. Applied blossoming prunus branch as well as magnolias and lilies with butterfly...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Carved Painted Wood Dressing Table / Vanity Mirror with Gilt Highlights
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese (19/20th Century)red painted dressing table mirror with an elaborately shaped carved wood frame with openwork design and raised on a rectangular base Losses on the pinecone...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Metal

Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Patinated Bronze Lidded Pot
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a bronze footed pot with three shaped legs, two bracket-shaped handles, a circular lid with a centered circular embellishment, a raised geometric pa...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Metal

Asian Gilt Guan Yin Buddha
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese Asian style gilt carved figure of seated Guan Yin Buddha on a lotus base (20th Cent)
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Giltwood

Chinese Off-White and Blue Symbol Patterned Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) large, off-white porcelain urn painted with a blue pattern featuring Buddhist symbols and other shapes with accented blue scrolled handles.  
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Chinese Alum Red Taishi Shaoshi Design Porcelain Vase Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese table lamp made from a porcelain vase mounted with wood and brass hardware as a lamp, with an alum red Taishi Shaoshi lion d...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Brass

Pair of Chinese Monumental Imari-Style Orange Porcelain Urns
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese monumental porcelain orange and floral patterned vases celebrating Japanese Imari ware in both palette and design, with medallions featuring figurative scenes of women in gardens...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Export Silver Bowl
Located in London, GB
A Chinese silver bowl of lobed round form with applied decoration depicting various flowers and birds. It has the mark of TS for the shop of Tien Shing or T...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Carved Hardstone Eagle in Smoky Quartz
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This majestic eagle is hand carved from quality smoky quartz. The eagle is standing on a decorative geometric base that has been custom made for this purpose. With faux glass eyes, t...
Category

1930s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Quartz

Chinese Export Silver Mug
Located in London, GB
Chinese Export Silver Mug, circa 1840, of double-skin construction and decorated with grape and vine against a matte background, a small oval cartouche, and grape branch handle. The ...
Category

1840s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Export Silver Bowl and Spoon
Located in New Orleans, LA
This delightful and extremely rare spoon and bowl pair exemplifies the remarkable artistry of Chinese export silver. Chinese silver pieces are renowned for their exceptional quality and unique designs, and the majority are entirely hand crafted. Today, many of these elaborate designs are housed in major museum collections, and remain a rarity on the market. Beginning in the 18th century, silver workshops in China specialized in the manufacture of silver export pieces for Western audiences. Typically bearing motifs that were popular amongst Americans and Europeans such as dragons, bamboo and floral patterns, these charming pieces were all beautifully handcrafted with the utmost skill. Today, important pieces of Chinese export silver such as this one can be found in many of the major museum collections, and are highly valued amongst collectors. The bowl boasts a fluid, undulating rim exquisitely engraved to depict bamboo, a motif which continues throughout the bowls body. Accompanying the bowl is a matching silver spoon, its handle intricately modeled as a vine with floral buds climbing upwards to its bowl, which seems to bloom with lovely applied buds and flowers. The spoon features the mark of Wing Fat, a firm active in Hong Kong from 1875-1930 and Sing Fat...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Pair of Chinese Blue Tole Palm Tree and Man Table Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Chinese light blue tole table lamps depicting a man holding a fan sitting in the shade of a palm tree. (PRICED AS Pair)(Companion lamps: NWL2012) On...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass

Framed Chinese Pen and Ink Family Ancestor Portrait
Located in Queens, NY
Vintage (20th Century) Chinese pen and ink family ancestor portrait capturing nine honorees seated in front of scrolls bearing text framed by curta...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Wood, Paper, Glass, Walnut

Chinese Teal and Red Crackle Porcelain Moon Flask Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) teal moon flask porcelain vase decorated with a red crackle overlay and topped with two stepped handles (mark on bottom, see photos). Condition: ...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White Floral Patterned Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese white ceramic table lamp made from a bulbous vase decorated with colorful florals, mounted on a wooden base and fitted with brass hardwa...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass

Chinese Porcelain Bird Motif Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style (20th Century) yellow and turquoise porcelain table lamp with bird design. Condition: (Ships without a shade)
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Porcelain Octagonal Multi-Colored Floral and Vase Motif Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese porcelain table lamp comprised of a porcelain vase with eight multi-colored sides featuring floral and vase motifs with raised decorative pomegranates around the neck, mounte...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Brass

Chinese Wooden Small Rectangular Chest with Hand Painted Exotic Birds
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese Mid-Century small rectangular hinged chest with metal latch and two side ring handles, hand painted featuring two exotic birds (depicted on the top and front), pine, berries,...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Wood

Chinese Coromandel 4-Fold Screen with Graduated Tiered Panels
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style (20th Century) black coromandel 4 fold screen with heron design and 4 graduated tier panels.
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Wood

Rare Chinese Export Porcelain Voc Dish
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A Chinese export porcelain VOC (Dutch East India Company) dish Canton, Yongzheng period, circa 1730 Diam. 23 cm Executed in rose-pink, ...
Category

18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Chinese Painted Clay Buddha Statue with Red Robes
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (early 20th Century, Republic of China) clay Buddha sculpture with painted details and red and green robes. (Similar sculptures: NWL2498, ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Clay

Chinese White and Pink Cherry Blossom Tree Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese white porcelain urn decorated with dark pink cherry blossom branches growing up its form, and accented with white foo dog doorknocker ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Export Silver Card Case
Located in London, GB
Chinese Export Silver Card Case, circa 1900, embossed and chased with a dragon amidst clouds on one side, and with a vacant shield-shaped cartouche. The reverse side features chrysan...
Category

Early 1900s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese White Figurative Scene Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) table lamp made from a white porcelain urn painted with a scene of children playing in orange, pink, and red, mounted on a brown wooden base and...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass

Chinese Export Silver Cocktail Shaker
Located in London, GB
Chinese Export Silver Cocktail Shaker, c1925, embossed and chased with bamboo decoration against a matte background, with a single round vacant cartouche. Marked with TC, for Tuck C...
Category

1920s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Framed Acrylic and Gold Leaf Painted Panel of a Flowering Tree
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-century Chinese acrylic still life painting in white, brown and beige on a gold leaf background depicting a flowering tree growing from a rocky base with a bird and dragon fly al...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Wood, Acrylic, Giltwood

Antique Chinese Export Silver Goblet
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Chinese export silver goblet; an addition to our wine and drinks related silverware collection. This exceptional antique Chinese Export silver (CES) goblet has a circular bell shaped form a shaped stem and plain circular stepped foot. The drinking vessel of this silver wine goblet is embellished with impressive engraved bamboo stems emanating from the lower portion. The embossed stem of this impressive solid silver goblet...
Category

Early 1900s Hong Kong Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Rose Quartz Reclining Lady
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese rose quartz carved reclining lady on an oval wood base (20th Cent)
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Wood

Chinese Export furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Chinese Export furniture 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 furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include asian art and furniture, decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, porcelain and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Chinese Export furniture made in a specific country, there are Asia, East Asia, and China pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Europa Antiques, Wang Hing Co., Luen Wo, and Hung Chong Co.. 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 furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $40 and tops out at $216,780 while the average work can sell for $1,998.

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