Blue And White Chinese Export Garden Stools
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain, Paint
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Side Tables
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Stools
Ceramic, Porcelain
Antique 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Ceramic, Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Asian Chinoiserie Stools
Porcelain
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain
Vintage 1950s Chinese Patio and Garden Furniture
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Terracotta
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain
Vintage 1950s Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Asian Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Fu...
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Fu...
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Asian Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Side Tables
Ceramic
Vintage 1950s Asian Chinese Export Ceramics
Porcelain
Vintage 1980s Asian Chinese Export Stools
Ceramic
Vintage 1920s Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Ceramic
Vintage 1960s Chinese Chinese Export Stairs
Ceramic
Vintage 1930s Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain
Vintage 1920s Chinese Chinese Export Pedestals and Columns
Porcelain
Vintage 1920s Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Ceramic
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antiquities
Porcelain
20th Century Asian Chinese Export Stools
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
Ceramic
Vintage 1980s Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic
Vintage 1920s Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic
Vintage 1960s Chinese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Vietnamese Chinese Export Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic
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Late 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Side Tables
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Antique 19th Century Chinese Patio and Garden Furniture
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Vintage 1980s Chinese Chinese Export Side Tables
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Vintage 1980s Chinese Chinese Export End Tables
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Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Stools
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A Close Look at Chinese-export Furniture
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.