Qing Altar Table
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Mahogany
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 1840s Chinese Qing Console Tables
Elm
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique Early 1900s Chinese Qing Sofa Tables
Hardwood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Elm
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Elm
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Elm
Antique Late 18th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Elm
Vintage 1950s Chinese Other Console Tables
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Iron
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Elm
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Elm
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Side Tables
Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Elm
Antique 1860s Chinese Qing Tray Tables
Elm
20th Century Asian Qing Console Tables
Mahogany
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Hardwood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
20th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Rosewood
Antique Early 1900s Chinese Qing Console Tables
Hardwood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Elm, Lacquer
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Walnut
Antique 1860s Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Elm, Rosewood
Antique Mid-18th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Elm
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Lacquer, Elm
Antique Early 1800s Chinese Qing Console Tables
Elm
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Silver
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Elm
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Elm
20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Elm, Pine
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Elm
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Shell
Antique 19th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
Early 20th Century Chinese Console Tables
Wood
Antique 1850s Chinese Qing Console Tables
Walnut
20th Century Tables
Hardwood
Antique 19th Century Console Tables
Antique 1860s Chinese Qing Console Tables
Elm
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Qing Altar Table For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Qing Altar Table?
A Close Look at Qing Furniture
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.
Finding the Right Tables for You
The right vintage, new or antique tables can help make any space in your home stand out.
Over the years, the variety of tables available to us, as well as our specific needs for said tables, has broadened. Today, with all manner of these must-have furnishings differing in shape, material and style, any dining room table can shine just as brightly as the guests who gather around it.
Remember, when shopping for a dining table, it must fit your dining area, and you need to account for space around the table too — think outside the box, as an oval dining table may work for tighter spaces. Alternatively, if you’ve got the room, a Regency-style dining table can elevate any formal occasion at mealtime.
Innovative furniture makers and designers have also redefined what a table can be. Whether it’s an unconventional Ping-Pong table, a brass side table to display your treasured collectibles or a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk to add an air of nostalgia to your loft, your table can say a lot about you.
The visionary work of French designer Xavier Lavergne, for example, includes tables that draw on the forms of celestial bodies as often as they do aquatic creatures or fossils. Elsewhere, Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who looked to Roman architecture in crafting her stately Jumbo coffee table, created clever glass-topped mobile coffee tables that move on bicycle tires or sculpted wood wheels for Fontana Arte.
Coffee and cocktail tables can serve as a room’s centerpiece with attention-grabbing details and colors. Glass varieties will keep your hardwood flooring and dazzling area rugs on display, while a marble or stone coffee table in a modern interior can showcase your prized art books and decorative objects. A unique vintage desk or writing table can bring sophistication and even a bit of spice to your work life.
No matter your desired form or function, a quality table for your living space is a sound investment. On 1stDibs, browse a collection of vintage, new and antique bedside tables, mid-century end tables and more .