Qing Paintings and Screens
QING STYLE
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.
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Style: Qing
Chinese Wavy Mountains Stone Landscape Dream Stone Painting , Signed
Located in South Burlington, VT
Chinese "Wavy" Mountains Stone Marble Painting Landscape Screen With Original Black wood Display Stand
Signed lower right.
Impressive work of art with original wooden display stan...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Stone, Marble
Monumental Chinese Lattice Spirit Screen, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Single-panel standing screens have been prevalent in fine Chinese interiors since as early as the Tang dynasty (618-906) and were used to section off a room, shield against bad spiri...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Elm, Pine
Immortal He Xiangu Painting on Canvas, China, 19th Century Asian Art
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Chinese painting depicting He Xiangu reproduced three times but with a different attribute: up a lotus flower, bottom left a fly hunt and bottom right again the lotus flower, each time surrounded by disciple the one praying right, the one on the left seems to bring him a bowl.
Pigments on linen or hemp,
19th century.
He Xiangu or Ho Hsien-ku, "Immortal Demoiselle He," is an immortal Taoist, a member of the group of Eight Immortals. She is represented holding in her hand a lotus symbolizing spiritual fulfillment, and sometimes also a sheng, a peach of immortality, a wooden ladle...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Canvas
Chinese Early Qing Dynasty "Water and Land Ritual" Painting, 17th Century
Located in Austin, TX
An important Chinese 17th century early Qing Dynasty "Water and Land Ritual" painting, mineral pigment and ink on silk, mounted as a scroll, framed and glazed.
The painting depicting groups of heavenly court officials and deities descending from the clouds to participate in the Liberation Rite of Land and Water. The figures all wear full, sumptuous robes, complete with hats indicating their station. The blue, green, red, black and white of the robes decorated with gilt dragon and geometric designs.
This painting is interesting in that it incorporates Daosit deities and heavenly officials coming down to participate in the Buddhist rite. There are five distinct groups of figures, each with a small inscribed plaque. Some of the groups are identified as Tian Xian, or Heavenly Immortals.
The group at the bottom left are identified as the Sanguan Dadi, or Three Great Emperor-Officials. The Emperor of Heaven is dressed in blue robes with gilt painted dragons. The Emperor of Water wears black robes. The Emperor of Earth wears yellow robes...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Silk, Glass, Giltwood, Paint
Chinese Spotted Deer Painting Fragment, c. 1751
Located in Chicago, IL
Also known as spirit screens, small Chinese table screens such as this were often used to block drafts and other intrusions in a scholar's workspa...
Category
Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper, Pearwood
Chinese Floral Longevity Canopy Painting, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Thoughts of a long, happy life greeted the young couple who gazed up from their bed on this canopy panel. Adorned with chrysanthemums and peaches, both symbols of longevity, the lyri...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Pine, Paint
19th Century a Pair of Chinese Silk Fans with Giltwood Handles
Located in Brea, CA
Antique 19th century hand painted floral motifs on silk Chinese fans Qing dynasty, the fan in silk with silk fringe and giltwood handles, housed within a conforming paper covered box...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Silk
Chinese Peony and Pheasant Canopy Painting, circa 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The experience of art itself can be an intimate one and this bed canopy, hand painted over 100 years ago by an artist in Canton, was more intimate than most. Delicately painted birds...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Pine
Pair of Chinese Turned Square Courtyard Panels, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Designing the intricate patterning of these 19th century northern Chinese lattice panels was like solving a puzzle. Skilled craftsmen pieced together handcut lengths of wood, precisely interlocking them to create a repeating diamond pattern...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Elm, Paper
Set of Four Chinese Immortals Screen Paintings, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Since the 12th century people in China have used folding screens and doors to partition and decorate their homes—the vivid scenes backing the screens added life and color to a room. ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Qing Dynasty Ancestor Imperial Officer Hanging Scroll Painting
Located in Greenwich, CT
Qing Dynasty Chinese Ancestral Imperial Officer's Portrait, 19th Century,
The imperial officer seated in dignify posture on horseshoe back chair wearing a official hat and with rank ...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Quartz
Chinese Phoenix and Auspicious Fruit Canopy Painting, circa 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The owners of this work of art were likely the only two people in the world lucky enough to have access to its beauty. The experience of art itself can be an intimate one, and this b...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Pine
Framed Pair of Antique Chinese Qing Dynasty Ancestor Paintings on Silk
Located in Morristown, NJ
Antique pair of Qing dynasty ancestor portraits depicting a male and a female. Hand painted on silk and framed under glass within a large te...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Silk, Glass, Wood, Paint
19th Century Painted Wood Fragment Gilt Red Lacquer
Located in Somis, CA
A beautiful red lacquered, solid wood fragment painted with an opera scene of victory celebration, featuring various figures dressed in official uniforms and crowns. Remnant gold lea...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Wood
Mid-19th Century Chinese Painting on Rice or Pith Paper
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Mid-19th century Chinese Painting on Rice or Pith Paper. Gouache or opaque watercolor of a student & attendants. Note remarkable details including marble panelled chair...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Four-Fold Screen with Peonies and Blue Magpies, 1963, "Creek Dwelling"
Located in Tonbridge, Kent
Chinese Four-Fold Screen with Peonies and Blue Magpies, 1963, "Creek Dwelling" Workshop
Description:
An authentic Chinese four-fold screen from the "Creek Dwelling" (溪居) workshop,...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Brass
Framed Chinese Erotic Miniature Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Folk Drawing of Mythical Qilin, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautifully detailed and masterfully painted, this painting dating from the turn of the 20th century centers its expressive composition upon a rondel of Chinese symbols. Representing...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Muslin, Elm
Framed Chinese Erotic Album Leaf, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Pair of Framed Chinese Ancestor Portraits, circa 1880s
Located in Chicago, IL
Believing that the departed continue to hold influence over the lives of the living, many Chinese households honor their ancestors in private family rituals, invoking their spirits for long life, health, and prosperity. Commemorative portraits, which came into vogue in the late Ming and Qing dynasties, were commissioned specifically for ancestor worship and were believed to house the spirits of the deceased. When properly cared for, one's ancestors were believed to be a powerful source of honor, protection, and good luck.
This pair of ancestor portraits was hand-painted in the late-19th century and beautifully depicts a Qing-dynasty couple. While some ancestral portraits offer a more stylized representation of one's ancestors, this particular pair is painted with incredible realism and life-like expressions. Rather than depict the pair in a regal hall wearing elaborate finery, the couple is shown in a quiet home environment, seated at either end of a square tea table. Their surroundings are minimal, practically undecorated, and they wear simple, matching blue silk robes. Two young children stand beside them, each trying to capture the attention of their grandparent. We love the painting's close attention to detail and the glimpse it offers of Qing-dynasty interiors - from the carved apron of the marble-top table to the red silk lotus slippers...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
China Century Old Dream Stone "Landscape Paintings" with Original Frames, Pair
Located in South Burlington, VT
Rare find
Impressive wall display of two (2) Chinese dream stone "Landscape Paintings" with original period frames these wonderful
round natura...
Category
1920s Chinese Vintage Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Stone
Large Custom Framed Hand Painted Chinese Multi-figural Ancestral Portrait
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Large custom framed hand painted Chinese ancestral portrait with one female and 3 male figures attired in traditional dress. The upper figures with pictorial appliqués to the front o...
Category
Late 19th Century Asian Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Acrylic, Paper
Qing Dynasty Painting of a Royalty Related Couple with Dragon Motifs
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Chinese late Qing Dynasty period framed painting from the early 20th century of a royalty related couple with dragon motifs painted on a linen canvas. Created in China during the late Qing Dynasty in the early years of the 20th century, this custom framed painting depicts a couple wearing either a red (a symbol of luck in China) or green robe. The depiction of dragons relates them to the Imperial family, but having four claws and not five as codified, the couple is likely part of the royal family, not the Imperial couple themselves. Accented with typical motifs such as bats, flaming pearls and rain-filled clouds, the robes are filled with symbols. Wearing ornate headdresses, the couple is sitting on elegant chairs. Set inside custom made frames, the paintings show great signs of age. While the entire piece measures 40.5"W x 1"D x 53"H, the painting itself is 36.5"W x 49". With its vivid colors and interesting subject, this Chinese Qing Dynasty painting...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Fabric, Plexiglass
Chinese New Year Painting, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
In celebration of the lunar New Year festival, it was traditional all over China to hang special decorations. In a city called Wuqiang, local artists made lacquer scroll paintings laden with symbolism. This framed and finely rendered early 20th century folk painting from Wuqiang features an imperial court official and his family dressed in their best silks. The young boy is dressed in a wonderfully patterned yellow robe to offer Shou Xing...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Framed Chinese Erotic Album Leaf, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Qing Dynasty Watercolour and Gouache on Pith Paper, Canton, C.1835
Located in London, GB
Chinese Qing Dynasty watercolour and gouache on Pith paper, Canton C.1835.
Capturing Canton life, the image of a women weaving depicts daily...
Category
1830s Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Mid-19th Century Pair of Chinese Gouache Portraits
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Mid-19th century pair of Chinese portraits painted on rice or pith paper. An official of the Qing dynasty and his wife, set in lushly detailed interiors. From symbols of authority to...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paint, Paper
Pair of Chinese Reverse Glass Paintings, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This pair of Chinese portraits depicting young women & their dogs were painted using a reverse glass painting technique. Painting in reverse on the opposite side of a piece of glass ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paint
Framed Chinese Erotic Album Leaf, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Erotic Album Leaf, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Early 19th Century Chinese Botanical Butterfly Watercolor on Pith Paper
Located in CA, CA
A 19th century Qing dynasty Chinese watercolor featuring a botanical scene. A broken branch suspended mid page features a striking butterfly atop a vivid reddish orange camellia flow...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Geometric Wood Panels, 2
Located in Astoria, NY
Two Chinese Geometric Wood Panels. Larger: 51" H x 19.25" W x 1" D. Provenance: From a New York City Collection.
Category
Early 1900s Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Wood
Set of Ten Qing Style Porcelain Plates after Lang Shining
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Magnificent set of ten hand painted enameled porcelain plates made in the Qianlong period style after Lang Shining (July 1688-July 1766 Italian). Born in Milano, Italy Giuseppe Castiglione...
Category
20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Brass
Chinese Reverse Glass Painting of Woman, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This Chinese portrait depicts a young woman and was painted using a reverse glass painting technique. Painting in reverse on the opposite side of a piece of glass meant the painter h...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paint
Chinese Sign of Honor, circa 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Signs of honor were presented as a gesture of gratitude to individuals who had bettered their community or in acknowledge of a respected person’s birthday. The sign would have been h...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Elm
Chinese Relief Carved Architectural Panel with Fruit and Flora, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
It’s difficult to pinpoint what makes this handcrafted panel so impressive: the artful relief carvings of seasonal fruit and lush, foliage-filled vases ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Spruce
19th Century Pair of Ancestor Portraits of the King & Queen
Located in North Palm Beach, FL
Deeply rooted in the belief that ancestors continue to guide and protect their descendants, many Chinese families pay homage to their departed loved ones through private rituals, see...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
"Treasures of the Scholars' Studio" Chinese Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
With careful brushwork, this 19th century painting honors the four treasures of the scholar's studio - paper, calligraphy brush, ink, and inkstone. Essenti...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Fabric
Chinese Eternal Youth Sign of Honor, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This monumental lacquered elmwood sign of honor was carved in northern China during the mid-19th century. The large central characters read as "Wu Zheng Ever Green", and loosely tran...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Elm
Framed Chinese Ancestor Portrait, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This intricately detailed composition is a late-Qing dynasty ancestor portrait depicting several generations of a family's male ancestry. Or...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Silk
Chinese Stone Dali Panels
Located in Sherborne, GB
This is a set of four antique Chinese Dali stone panels which depict wonderful landscape images. The stone is set in an ebonized panel frame. They look wo...
Category
Early 1900s Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Marble, Brass
Chinese Reverse Glass Table Screen with Floral Still Life, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Prevalent in fine Chinese interiors as early as the Tang dynasty (618-906), standing screens with decorative panels served numerous functions as portable architecture. Used to sectio...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Glass, Wood
"Scholar's Treasures" Chinese Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
A scroll and a small lantern depicted in this 19th century painting suggest the romantic notion of a Chinese scholar painting in the evening hours. Re...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Fabric
19th Century Chinese Qing Dynasty Reverse Painted Mirror
Located in Dublin 8, IE
19th Century Chinese Qing Dynasty Reverse Painted Mirror depicting a Court Scene. Featuring four ladies in traditional garments, including one fishing, along with a bridge to the cen...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Glass, Mirror, Paint
Chinese Sign of Honor, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
A 19th century northern Chinese sign of honor presented to an esteemed scholar on his 80th birthday. The large characters in the center read (from right...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Elm
'Love and Lotus Boys' Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Painting
Located in Chicago, IL
Drawn with a fine line and fresh, sketched quality, this folk hanging unites two scenes of lucky hoho lotus boys circumscribed in frames punctuated with fruits such as pomegranate, symbolic of prosperity and good fortune. On top, the two explore the natural wonders of the world...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Wood, Linen
19th Century Pair Qing Dynasty Reverse Painted Mirrors
Located in Dublin 8, IE
19th Century Pair Qing Dynasty Reverse Painted Mirrors depicting Court Scenes. Featuring Royal Figures and their servants and advisors. All wearing colourful traditional garments. A ...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Glass, Mirror, Paint
Qing paintings and screens for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Qing paintings and screens for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage paintings and screens created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include asian art and furniture, wall decorations, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, paper and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Qing paintings and screens made in a specific country, there are Asia, China, and East Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for paintings and screens differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $330 and tops out at $65,000 while the average work can sell for $3,200.