What is a Chinese scroll?

A Chinese scroll is a painting or calligraphy painted on silk or rice paper that has been mounted onto a heavier paper or silk with wooden rollers at both ends. They can be rolled up for easy storage, and can be viewed hung on the wall, or unrolled along a long table.

How do you identify antique Chinese furniture?

To identify antique Chinese furniture, look carefully at its details. Chinese craftsmen often built furniture using mortise and tenon joinery, eliminating the need for nails and screws. If you see this type of hardware, your piece is likely not at least 100 years old, especially if the hardware still looks new and shiny. Since antique furniture was handmade, you will normally see slight imperfections, such as tool marks or slight variations in carvings. Pieces that appear completely uniform and pristine are less often genuine antiques.When present, maker's marks can also be helpful. Research the marks to learn more about when the maker was active and producing pieces like yours. Alternatively, you can have a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer evaluate your furniture for you.Shop an assortment of antique Chinese furniture.

How to know if my Chinese porcelain is antique?

The best way to know is to take it to an expert, such as an appraiser, reputable dealer or auction house, or museum

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.

Antique Chinese Scroll

19th Century Chinese Screen

Scroll Painting

Asian Art Scrolls

Chinese Silk Paintings

Vintage White Porcelain Lamps

$5,400 / set

Vintage White Porcelain Lamps

Located in New York, NY

Pair of 1920's Chinese pierced porcelain lamps with scrolling motif.

Category

1920s Chinese Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Qing Dynasty Red Painted Paper Bound Trunk with Brass Lock

$1,125

19th Century Qing Dynasty Red Painted Paper Bound Trunk with Brass Lock

Located in Yonkers, NY

A Chinese Qing Dynasty period red painted paper bound trunk from the 19th century with traditional brass medallion hardware and lateral C-scroll handles.

Category

19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Brass

19th Century Late Qing Dynasty Altar Table with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay

$3,080

19th Century Late Qing Dynasty Altar Table with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay

Located in Toronto, CA

This is a gorgeous late Qing Dynasty Chinese altar table. Scroll ends carved with dragons and beautiful mother-of-pearl inlay on all sides, including top, back, legs and even inner r...

Category

19th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood

Rare Antique 18th Century Padauk Bureau in the Chippendale Manner

$13,031

Rare Antique 18th Century Padauk Bureau in the Chippendale Manner

Located in Nottingham, GB

The bureau terminates in a beautifully carved plinth incorporating a distinctive Chinese-inspired scrolling profile, reinforcing the Anglo-Asian character of its design.

Category

18th Century Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Brass

Rare 17th Century Dutch Delft Blue & White Octagonal Knobbed Vase ca. 1670 12”

$3,411

Rare 17th Century Dutch Delft Blue & White Octagonal Knobbed Vase ca. 1670 12”

Located in Nottingham, GB

Hand-painted in cobalt blue on a tin-glazed white ground, it features richly decorative Chinese-inspired floral and scroll motifs characteristic of early Delftware.

Category

17th Century Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Ceramic

Henrietta RaeHer Eyes Are Homes of Silent Prayer

$54,869

Her Eyes Are Homes of Silent Prayer

Located in London, GB

The background of the work is based on Chinese paintings with auspicious clouds (Xiangyun 祥云; 祥雲) scrolls with Chinese-esque characters and two Chinese lion dogs (shíshī 石獅) flanking...

Category

19th Century Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Oil, Canvas

18th-century Dutch Delft Shaped Chinoiserie Polychrome Plaque

$3,750

18th-century Dutch Delft Shaped Chinoiserie Polychrome Plaque

Located in Downingtown, PA

The shaped plaque features a raised, molded border decorated with alternating painted panels of flowers and Chinese auspicious objects (such as scrolls and ribbons).

Category

1730s Dutch Georgian Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Delft, Faience

Georgian Opulence: Henry Clay's Lacquered Papier-mâché Tray on Faux Bamboo Stand

$6,500

Georgian Opulence: Henry Clay's Lacquered Papier-mâché Tray on Faux Bamboo Stand

By Henry Clay

Located in Downingtown, PA

While the tray's decorative style is based on Chinese/Japanese lacquer, the scrolling acanthus leaves are firmly rooted in the European Rococo and its later revival, blending Eastern...

Category

Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Other

French 19th Century Silver & Gold Gilt Oval Mirror

$3,995

French 19th Century Silver & Gold Gilt Oval Mirror

Located in Baton Rouge, LA

A splendid Ho-oh bird (or Chinese Phoenix) grips scrolling acanthus leaves on the crown of an elegant oval frame.

Category

19th Century French Regency Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

Classical George I Console Table

$14,500

Classical George I Console Table

Located in Greenwich, CT

Fine and elegant early Georgian oak marble top console table in the Chinese taste, the original veined marble top with ogee edge, over a similarly molded base, the square cabriole le...

Category

1720s English George I Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Marble

George III Mahogany Hanging Shelf

$2,400

George III Mahogany Hanging Shelf

Located in Essex, MA

Four shelves over a fret carved gallery, sides with Chinese style open trellis work, scrolled volutes brackets top and bottom.

Category

1760s English George III Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Mahogany

Set 15 English Antique Dinner Plates Soup Dishes & One Platter Circa 1860

$800 / set

Set 15 English Antique Dinner Plates Soup Dishes & One Platter Circa 1860

By Copeland Spode

Located in Katonah, NY

The wide border is decorated with flowers on scrolling vines. Chinese export porcelains from the 18th century influenced this chinoiserie pattern.

Category

Late 19th Century English Chinoiserie Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Ironstone

A Massive Antique Japanese Arita Porcelain Plate by Kajiwara Kiln

$8,500

A Massive Antique Japanese Arita Porcelain Plate by Kajiwara Kiln

Located in Atlanta, GA

The border of the plate is richly decorated with the Chinese inspired scroll design. On the back, three bundles of the chrysanthemums bundles are found.

Category

19th Century Japanese Japonisme Antique Chinese Scroll

Materials

Ceramic

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Antique Chinese Scroll For Sale on 1stDibs

At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal antique Chinese scroll for your home. An antique Chinese scroll — often made from wood, hardwood and elm — can elevate any home. There are many kinds of the antique Chinese scroll you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. An antique Chinese scroll is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Folk Art and Georgian styles are sought with frequency. Many designers have produced at least one well-made antique Chinese scroll over the years, but those crafted by Mason's Ironstone are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

How Much is a Antique Chinese Scroll?

An antique Chinese scroll can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $3,500, while the lowest priced sells for $149 and the highest can go for as much as $48,000.

Questions About Antique Chinese Scroll

What is a Chinese scroll?
1 Answer
Lotus GallerySeptember 23, 2020
A Chinese scroll is a painting or calligraphy painted on silk or rice paper that has been mounted onto a heavier paper or silk with wooden rollers at both ends. They can be rolled up for easy storage, and can be viewed hung on the wall, or unrolled along a long table.
How do you identify antique Chinese furniture?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertNovember 4, 2024
To identify antique Chinese furniture, look carefully at its details. Chinese craftsmen often built furniture using mortise and tenon joinery, eliminating the need for nails and screws. If you see this type of hardware, your piece is likely not at least 100 years old, especially if the hardware still looks new and shiny. Since antique furniture was handmade, you will normally see slight imperfections, such as tool marks or slight variations in carvings. Pieces that appear completely uniform and pristine are less often genuine antiques.

When present, maker's marks can also be helpful. Research the marks to learn more about when the maker was active and producing pieces like yours. Alternatively, you can have a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer evaluate your furniture for you.

Shop an assortment of antique Chinese furniture.
How to know if my Chinese porcelain is antique?
1 Answer
Lotus GallerySeptember 23, 2020
The best way to know is to take it to an expert, such as an appraiser, reputable dealer or auction house, or museum
How can I tell if my Chinese furniture is antique?
1 Answer
PAGODA REDOctober 7, 2020
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.