$4,380
H 115.5 in W 97 in D 2 in
19th Century Antique Chinese Handcraft 5 Panels Wooden Screen / Room Divider
Located in Pomona, CA
Description: This is a set of 5 pieces of Chinese antique open carved wooden panels which used to be the interior divider/door panels in ancient China that are put together to make i...
Elm
Antique Chinese Four Lucky Keys Wood Screen
Located in Merrimack, NH
The restoration to this amazing set of 5 antique Chinese panel screens is intentionally kept minimum.
Pine
$1,470Sale Price|40% Off
H 16.5 in W 31.25 in D 31.25 in
Mid Century Modern Olive Burl Square Coffee Parsons Table Made in Italy
By Milo Baughman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful Mid-Century Modern olive burl square coffee table made in Italy. Good vintage condition - has label under table Gimbel Brothers nyc - made in Italy. Table is located in Wil...
Olive, Burl
Chinese Export Rosewood Carved Altar Console Table
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Exceptional Chinese Huali rosewood table with remarkably straight wood grain patterns and distinctive carving. The aprons are carved in an intricate lattice work of blossoms and bird...
Rosewood
$5,404
H 50.01 in W 59.85 in D 16.15 in
Art Deco Dressing Table Attributed to Betty Joel, Rare, c 1930s
By Betty Joel
Located in Devon, England
For those with a more refined taste in quality we are pleased to be able to offer you this Sycamore Art Deco dressing table attributed to Betty Joel. Beautiful quality, lovely condit...
Steel
Murano Sputnik Spherical Green Glass and Brass Chandelier
Located in Roma, Lazio
A fantastic emerald green sputnik, with a surprising design and for its very low height, which allows it to fit in both high and low ceilings. Very elegant, it will furnish and decor...
Brass
Early Meiji Period Japanese Elm Shadona Cabinet
Located in Dekalb, IL
c. 1870s/1880s; Japan Late 19th century decorative keyaki (Japanese elm) cabinet. This ornate, pagoda-inspired piece dates to the early/middle Meiji period in Japan and is construc...
Elm
$10,500Sale Price|30% Off
H 61.82 in W 66.93 in D 1.97 in
18th Century Chinese Coromandel Screen, Hand-Carved, Black Lacquer
Located in CABA, AR
Transport yourself back to the opulent splendor of the 18th century with this magnificent Chinese five-panel black Coromandel screen, a true masterpiece of artistic and cultural her...
Gold Leaf
Ornately Carved Chinese Luohan Bed, circa 1550
Located in Chicago, IL
This gorgeous luohan daybed anchors its surroundings with its monumental scale and incredible carved decoration. Known as a luohan chuang, or couch bed, this form of low-backed daybe...
Elm
Chinese Red Lacquer Canopy Bed with Footrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
A Chinese canopy bed, or marriage bed, was the most important part of a bride's dowry and was the central feature of her personal quarters. Traditionally, beds were central to Chines...
Elm, Reed
$2,900
H 66 in W 68 in D 1 in
Vintage Middle Eastern 3 Panel Mashrabiya Lattice Folding Screen Room Divider
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Middle Eastern 3 Panel Mashrabiya Lattice Panel Folding Screen Room Divider. Item features 2 small swing "doors" on the right and left panels, open center (not sure if anythi...
Wood
19th Century Chinese Day Bed
Located in New York, NY
Wonderful 19th century Canopy Top Chinese Scholars Day Bed. Worn red lacquer over Elm wood having a rich spectacular patina. Inset rattan platform is removable, entire bed separate...
Elm
$21,500Sale Price|49% Off
H 88 in W 50.5 in D 19.5 in
19th Century Japanese Cinnabar / Lacquer Cabinet
Located in Fulton, CA
Incredible example of Asian lacquer carving. Standing over seven feet tall, this monumental display shelf was produced in Japan at the end of the Edo period, late 19th century. It fe...
Wood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Canopy Bed from Shanxi, China
Located in Singapore, SG
An antique canopy bed from Shanxi province made of Elm wood. This bed has all the attention focused on the front carvings while keeping a very simple and clean overall look. There is...
Rattan, Elm
Monumental 19th Century Indian Building Facade
Located in Chicago, IL
This magnificent building facade was once part of a grand mansion in Gujarat, India. It is entirely made from Teakwood, which is highly resistant to insects and to water. Originally,...
Teak
Chinese Export Six Panels Lacquered Screen
Located in Madrid, ES
Chinese screen for export with 6 panels decorated on both sides. The front side with various scenes of daily palatial life with relief figures, buildings and landscapes made of pain...
Brass
Early 20th Century Antique Chinese Carved Wedding Armoire
Located in Pomona, CA
This beautiful Chinese Antique Wedding Armoire features detailed carving works of Kylin - a lucky pet that brings peace, longevity, and many children，on the top, Crane, Pine tree and...
Wood
Pair of Chinese Ming Sancai Dragon Roof Tiles, c. 1650
Located in Chicago, IL
This incredible pair of sancai-glazed Chinese roof tiles were once installed as part of the elaborate roof of a Ming-dynasty temple or grand courtyard home. Dated to the 17th century...
Earthenware
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.