Chinese Painted Scholar's Presentation Box, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This painted wooden box is a 19th-century Chinese snack box, once presented as a gift for a holiday
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Boxes
Wood
Chinese Painted Scholar's Presentation Box, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This painted wooden box is a 19th-century Chinese snack box, once presented as a gift for a holiday
Wood
Chinese Painted Snack Box with Deer & Lingzhi, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This wooden Chinese box is a 19th-century snack box, once presented as a gift for a holiday or
Wood
Chinese Hundred Treasures Carved Panel, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This ornately carved panel was originally the lid of a 19th-century Chinese snack box, presented as
Wood
19th Century Chinese Stacked Snack Box
Located in Brea, CA
Antique 19th century Chinese stacked snack box. Decorated all-over with intricate designs, with a
Bamboo
19th Century Chinese Stacked Snack Box
Located in Brea, CA
Antique 19th century Chinese stacked snack box. Decorated all-over with intricate designs and
Bamboo
Chinese Lacquered Snack Box, c. 1820
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered container was once used as a 19th-century snack box, presented as a gift
Wood, Lacquer
Chinese Black Lacquer Snack Box, c. 1820
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered box was once used as a 19th-century snack box, presented as a gift during
Wood, Lacquer
Lacquer Chinese Covered Snack Box
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A black and gold Chinese covered snack box with removable red lacquered trays inside. nominal
Early 19th Century Chinese Snack Box
Located in Chicago, IL
An early 19th century Chinese red lacquer snack box with finely painted scholars' objects
Late 19th Century Chinese Eight Sided Parquetry Snack Box
Located in Chicago, IL
This turn-of-the-century Chinese snack box is an exquisite example of Qing-dynasty artistry. Using
Walnut, Burl, Fruitwood
Chinese Lacquered Snack Box, c. 1820
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered container was once used as a 19th-century snack box, presented as a gift
Wood, Lacquer
Chinese Lacquered Snack Box, c. 1820
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered container was once used as a 19th-century snack box, presented as a gift
Wood, Lacquer
Chinese Lacquered Snack Box, c. 1820
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered container was once used as a 19th-century snack box, presented as a gift
Wood, Lacquer
Chinese Lacquered Snack Box, c. 1820
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered container was once used as a 19th-century snack box, presented as a gift
Wood, Lacquer
Chinese Black Lacquer Snack Box, c. 1820
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered box was once used as a 19th-century snack box, presented as a gift during
Wood, Lacquer
Chinese Studded Lacquer Snack Box, c. 1820
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered container was once used as a 19th-century snack box, presented as a gift
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century Chinese Lacquer Snack Box Table
Located in Chicago, IL
spices, an elegant snack box like this would have been presented as a gift to an honoured friend. We’ve
Elm
Chinese Double Happiness Lacquered Snack Box, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered container was once a portable snack box, presented as a gift during holidays
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century Chinese Elmwood Eight-Sided Snack Box
Located in Chicago, IL
box was carefully constructed in Northern China out of Elmwood, and he employed concealed joinery
Elm
Chinese Stacked Snack Box, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
years. The lack of formal dining rooms in traditional China prompted people to use stacked boxes to
Hardwood
19th Century Chinese Red Lacquer Snack Box
Located in Chicago, IL
, filled with popular Chinese snacks such as roasted melon seeds, dried fruit, and soybeans toasted with
Poplar, Paint
Chinese Lacquered Snack Box, c. 1820
Located in Chicago, IL
This simple lacquered box was once used as a 19th-century snack box, presented as a gift during
Wood, Lacquer
Chinese Antique Sectional Snack Box, 19th Century
Located in SOMIS, CA
Beautiful box has five sections designed for holding different snacks and candies for the lady's
Wood
Japanese Carved and Lacquered Shibayama Cabinet, Meiji Period
Located in San Francisco, CA
An elaborate and finely detailed carved wood, and gold lacquered Shibayama cabinet (Chigaidansu). Having beautifully applied semi-precious stone and mother of pearl decoration of flo...
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
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
Japanese Lacquer Box with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay and Parquetry Drawers
Located in Yonkers, NY
A finely crafted Japanese tabletop cabinet from the early 20th century, this compact storage piece is richly detailed with traditional decorative techniques and export-era flourishes...
Wood
Chinese Red Lacquer Writing Set with Twin Dragons, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed for traveling poets or scholar-artists, a collapsible writing set allowed a Chinese calligrapher to paint in nature, whether a journey to a far-off vista or an afternoon spe...
Wood
19th Century Korean Chest
Located in Houston, TX
19th Century Bandaji chest featuring a heavily decorated case with gleaming silver pierced grill work and handles. This rare blanket chest is similar to a Japanese Tansu chest and is...
Nickel
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
Pair Early 20th Century Moroccan Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
Pair 1920s or earlier Moroccan wood inlay wall shelves. These wonderful Múdejar design shelves feature abstract geometry, horseshoe, multifoil arches, and honeycombed vaults called m...
Wood
Antique Korean Bandaji Chest Pyongyang Joseon Dynasty
Located in Atlanta, GA
A striking Bandaji from Nothern part of the Korean peninsula circa 19th century of late Joseon Dynasty. Bandaji is known as drop front half-opening chest that was used in traditional...
Metal
Victorian Papier Mâché and Mother-of-Pearl Inlayed Work Table
Located in Hudson, NY
This fine piece has been expertly made from papier mâché inlaid with sections of mother-of-pearl and extensively polychromed to create an interesting whole. The tables main decorativ...
Other
Antique Chinoisiere Lacquered Box
Located in New York, NY
Chinoiserie Lacquer Box. Beautifully hand painted Chinoiserie Box decorated with auspicious Chinese scenes. The box is constructed of wood having polychrome painting lacquered with...
Bronze
$3,000 / set
H 30.5 in W 11 in D 16.75 in
Pair of Antique Large Chinese Lacquered, Gilded Foo Dogs on Ornate Bases, China
Located in San Francisco, CA
Foo Dogs, or Guardian Lions, are a Chinese symbol of protection, often placed at entrances to ward off evil spirits and attract luck and wealth. This antique wooden pair, with gilt d...
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century Chinese Cabinet
Located in New York, NY
19th century Chinese cabinet with carved panels and painting. From Anhui province this cabinet is made of fir wood and cypress. Outlining the carved panels, ground pearl shell is mix...
Cedar
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
H 6 in W 14.5 in D 11 in
19th Century Chinese Export Black Lacquer & Mother Of Pearl Sewing Box
Located in Atlanta, GA
This stunning 19th-century Chinese Export sewing box showcases exceptional craftsmanship and intricate decorative artistry. The rectangular box features a black lacquered surface ado...
Wood, Lacquer
$574,500
H 84 in W 56 in D 20 in
An Imperial Japanese Meiji Shibayama Tea Cabinet by The Tokugawa Samurai Clan
Located in Long Island City, NY, NY
An Imperial Japanese Meiji Shibayama Tea Ceremony Cabinet by The Tokugawa Samurai Clan. This extraordinary Meiji-period shibayama cabinet, attributed to the Tokugawa samurai clan, s...
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood, Lacquer
$3,496Sale Price|30% Off
H 89.25 in W 39.5 in D 19.5 in
Antique Indonesian Maduran Red Painted & Gilded Tall Cabinet or Storage Chest
Located in Topeka, KS
Magnificent vintage Indonesian Maduran red hand painted & gilded tall cabinet or storage chest. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have sig...
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Chinese Black & Gold Lacquered Wardrobe
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A Chinese black and gold lacquer wardrobe with decorated paneled sides and heavy brass hardware. Inside consists of two different sections. The upper section has three drawers. The l...
Brass
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.
From Japanese handmade earthenware pottery, originating circa 14,500 B.C. and adorned with elaborate corded patterns known as jōmon, to natural elm case pieces and storage cabinets built in Qing dynasty–era China to mid-century Thai rice-paper charcoal rubbings, antique and vintage Asian art and furniture make for wonderful additions to all kinds of contemporary interiors.
Eastern elements elevate any home’s decor. Introduce zen sensibility to your living room, dining room and bedroom with the neutral color palettes and the natural materials such as rattan, bamboo and elm that we typically associate with traditional Asian furniture. Decorative handwoven embroideries and textiles originating from India and elsewhere on the continent, which can be draped over a bed or sofa or used as a wall hanging, can be as practical as they are functional, just as you wouldn’t seek out Japanese room-divider screens — often decorated with paintings but constructed to be lightweight and mobile — merely for privacy.
With everything from blanket chests to lighting fixtures to sculptures and carvings, it’s easy to tastefully bring serenity to your living space by looking to the treasures for which the East has long been known.
For British-born furniture designer Andrianna Shamaris, the Japanese concept of beauty in imperfection isn’t limited to her Wabi Sabi collection. She embraces it in her New York City apartment as well. In the living area, for instance, she retained the fireplace’s original black marble while swathing its frame and the rest of the room in bright white.
“We left the fireplace very clean and wabi-sabi, so that it blended into the wall,” says Shamaris, who further appointed the space with a hand-carved antique daybed whose plush pillows are upholstered in antique textiles from the Indonesian island of Sumba.
In the growing antique and vintage Asian art and furniture collection on 1stDibs, find ceramics from China, antiquities from Cambodia and a vast range of tables, seating, dining chairs and other items from Japan, India and other countries.