Qing Scholar's Objects
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
Fine Chinese Bamboo Root Carved Brush Pot
Located in Hampstead, QC
This antique hand carved Chinese bamboo root brush pot is in excellent condition. No cracks in the wood and all carving is in great condition with no chips or missing pieces.
The w...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Bamboo
Antique Chinese Silvered Copper Alloy White Jade Inset Snuff Bottle Qing c.1900
Located in Richmond, CA
Fine antique Chinese Qing Dynasty silvered golden copper alloy snuff bottle of hulu double gourd form, inset with 4x carved five petal white jade p...
Category
Early 1900s Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Jade, Silver, Copper
Antique Chinese Hand Carved Hardstone Brush Washer Archaic Ruyi Qing early 20
Located in Richmond, CA
This antique hand-carved sodalite hardstone brush washer is a stunning example of traditional craftsmanship and artistic expression. The washer is of a compressed barrel form, a shap...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Stone
Chinese Brass and Lacquered Wood Box
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Chinese Brass and Lacquered Wood Box, simple wood box with a brass edgings and front lock plate, wood section covered in a dark lacquer, hinged top lid, front with large rectangular ...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Brass
Chinese Enamel On Swirl Glass Snuff Bottle Carps Koi Fish Lotus Jade Stopper 20c
Located in Richmond, CA
Introducing a vibrant piece of late 20th-century craftsmanship, this snuff bottle stands as a fine example of the period's artistry. The bottle, exhibiting a pleasing globular form, ...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Milk Glass
Antique Chinese Mini Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Lotus Blossoms Signed Qing 20c
Located in Richmond, CA
Vintage Chinese inside painted glass mini snuff bottle, masterfully reverse hand painted a lotus blossom scene to one side, and a landscape scene to the other side, raised on an ove...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Glass
Antique Chinese Carved Ruby Red Glass Overlay Clear Horses Snuff Bottle Qing 19c
Located in Richmond, CA
Antique late Qing Dynasty ruby red glass overlay clear ground snuff bottle, hand carved with a horse in a treed meadow scene to each side, carved elephant head and ring taoties to s...
Category
Early 1900s Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Jade
Antique Chinese Decorative Lacquered Wood Jardiniere
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Chinese Decorative Lacquered Wood Jardiniere, small, elegant form carved from a single segment of wood, raised high on four cabriole curving legs, top consisting of a rectangular ope...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Wood
Vintage Chinese Porcelain Famille Rose Fencai Hand Painted Snuff Bottle 20th Cen
Located in Richmond, CA
A vintage Chinese porcelain snuff bottle, hand painted with a beauty in a courtyard setting on each side, and signed “癸丑年” （"Gui Chou Nian" or 1973 according to the Chinese cyclical ...
Category
20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Burled Hardwood Scholar Rock, Republic Period, 20th Century
Located in Austin, TX
An unusual and striking Chinese scholar rock, gongshi, of polished and lacquered burled hardwood, set into a hardwood base, mid-20th century.
The hardwood scholar "stone" meant to i...
Category
1940s Chinese Vintage Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Hardwood, Burl
Chinese Carved Hardwood "Chrysanthemum" Stand, 20th century, China
Located in Austin, TX
A large and impressive Chinese carved and stained hardwood display stand in the form of a stylized chrysanthemum, mid 20th century or earlier, China.
The large display stand...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Hardwood
Antique Chinese Yellow Glass Overlay Large Snuff Bottle Blossoms Late 20c
Located in Richmond, CA
A large vintage Chinese intense lemon yellow glass overlay on clear glass ground snuff bottle, hand carved with a flower on each side, and topped with a tourmaline stopper
circa: la...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Glass
Chinese Old Bamboo Slips with Calligraphy Jiandu, 59 Piece Collection
Located in South Burlington, VT
Bamboo and wooden slips - jiandú- were the main media for writing documents in China before the widespread introduction of paper during the first two centuries AD.
This substantial group, 59 pieces, of one-of-a-kind slips with painted and applied hand calligraphy appeals to book lovers and antiquity sleuths We believe them to be circa 1900 Qing dynasty and are offering this group from a collection of old works of art.
Dimensions: bamboo slips...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Wood
Vintage Chinese Inside Painted Glass Snuff Bottle Dragon Apocryphal Erzhong 20c
Located in Richmond, CA
A vintage Chinese inside painted frosted glass snuff bottle in tapered cylindrical form, masterfully reverse painted with a sharp clawed, fierce, slithering dragon, partially hidden...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Glass
Vintage Chinese Glass Overlay Snuff Bottle White Qilin on Yellow Ground mid 20c
Located in Richmond, CA
This mid 20th-century Chinese glass overlay snuff bottle is a fine example of the intricate overlay technique. The bottle, of tapered rectangular form, features a captivating design ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Glass
Chinese Bronze Chilong Garlic Head Scholar's Vase, Qing Dynasty, 17th C, China
Located in Austin, TX
A small and lovely Chinese cast bronze garlic head scholar's "chilong" vase, early Qing Dynasty, Kangxi period, late 17th century, China.
The elegant vase of beautiful proportion...
Category
Late 17th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Bronze
Chinese Ho Ho Boy Water Dropper, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This curious object is a late 19th-century Chinese water dropper, a calligraphy accessory that would have been found upon a scholar's painting ta...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Goldstone Carved Cranes Ibis Snuff Bottle Early 20c ROC
Located in Richmond, CA
Discover this rare and exquisite shimmering goldstone snuff bottle from the Republic of China period (1910-1940), a representation of the era's refined craftsmanship. Made from the distinctive goldstone, the bottle captivates with its natural sparkle, resembling a night sky strewn with stars.
Each side features a pair of gracefully carved cranes...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Glass
Pair of Chinese Huanghuali Nesting Trays
Located in Austin, TX
A refined and elegant pair of huanghuali nesting trays. An exotic hardwood, huanghuali (which translate to "yellow flowering pear wood"), has long been prized in China.
These trays would originally have graced the desk of a scholar and aided him in his scholarly pursuits.
The larger tray features a wonderful golden hue, and a prized "ghost face...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Hardwood
Qing Dynasty Red Lacquered Scroll Box with Distressed Gold Chinoiserie Décor
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Chinese Qing dynasty red lacquered lidded scroll box from the 19th century with distressed gold chinoiserie motifs. This exquisite Chinese Qing dynasty red lacquered lidded scroll ...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Wood
Chinese Burled Brush Pot, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Carefully carved from a cypress tree burl, this late 19th-century burlwood vessel is known as a brush pot, a container traditionally used to hold select calligraphy brushes in a scho...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Burl
Chinese Eighteen Luohan Walnut Shell Snuff Bottle, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
A mixture of finely powdered tobacco, herbs, and spices, snuff was introduced to China in the 17th century by Western diplomats. Initially reserved for ranking members of Qing-dynast...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Plastic, Walnut
Antique Chinese Scholars’ Incense Tray of Coconut Wood
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Unusual Chinese Scholars’ Incense Tray, beautifully crafted of wood covered in a parquetry of small pieces of coconut wood in a “Cracked Ice” pattern, small footed base with flared rim with beaded edge. Complete with a Japanese Collectors’ wood storage box labeled: “Chinese coconut...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Wood, Coconut
Chinese Lingbi Scholar Stone Arched Form on Display Stand
Located in Atlanta, GA
A small desk top Chinese scholar stones (also known as Gong Shi, meditation stone and spirit rock) fitted on a hand-carved wood stand circa late 19th century. The specimen is of a black Lingbi type stone in an arch form mimicking a horizontal mountain range. The wrinkles and folds on the black surface were perfectly weathered by elements for millenniums. Smooth and rugged at the same time, the mountain range shows a poetic formation that was often depicted in the ink scroll...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Stone
Chinese Burled Brush Pot, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Carefully carved from a cypress tree burl, this late 19th-century burlwood vessel is known as a brush pot, a container traditionally used to hold select calligraphy brushes in a scho...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Burl
Chinese Zitan Brush Pot with Soapstone Inlay, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Set alongside the four treasures of the study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone - a brush pot, or bitong, was an essential fixture of the scholars' desk. This beautif...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Soapstone
Pair of Chinese Longevity Relief Scroll Cases, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Delicately carved of dense hardwood, these 19th-century scroll cases were an essential accessory for the esteemed Qing-dynasty scholar. The perfect size for a rolled-up scroll, the cases were once used to store and protect works of traditional calligraphy and landscape painting.
The matching cases are hand-carved in low relief with all-over scrollwork and borders of geometric meanders. Each case is carved with repeated Shou characters, symbols of longevity and a blessing for a long and complete life. Amid the scrollwork flourishes are ribbon-clad objects known as the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism, including the eternal knot...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Hardwood
Antique Chinese Scholar Rock Yingde Stone on Display Stand
Located in Atlanta, GA
An intriguing Chinese scholar rock in vertical form presented on a custom hand-carved wood stand circa late Qing Dynasty. The greyish black stone is of Yingde type. Its upright form ...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Stone
19th Century Dengguayi Scholar's Lamp-Hanger Armchair with Sinuous Splat
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Chinese antique Qing dynasty scholar's lamp-hanger armchair from the late 19th century, with sinuous pierced splat, dark patina, curving arms and side stretchers. This exquisite Ch...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Wood
Chinese Qing Dynasty Porcelain Spotted Deer Brush Washer, Mid-19th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A charming and elegant Chinese brush washer in the form of a recumbent spotted deer, Qing dynasty, circa 1850.
The graceful animal modeled with ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Rare Traditional Chinese Bamboo Hand-carved Brush Pot
Located in Hampstead, QC
This antique hand carved Chinese bamboo root brush pot is in excellent condition. No cracks in the wood and all carving is in great condition with no chips or missing pieces.
The w...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Bamboo
Chinese Literati Tea Tray, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite 19th century tray reflects the Qing-dynasty literati's taste for fine materials and balanced proportions. Once used to serve tea or hold scholarly implements, the tray is...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Hardwood
19the Century Stone Shanxi Lion
Located in Singapore, SG
An antique stone lion with a charming expression from Shanxi province, China, estimated to be 150–200 years old. Unlike traditional guardian lions ...
Category
Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Stone
Qing scholar's objects for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Qing scholar's objects 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 scholar's objects created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include asian art and furniture, decorative objects, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, stone and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Qing scholar's objects 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 scholar's objects differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $98 and tops out at $29,500 while the average work can sell for $1,315.