Qing Sculptures
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
The Biscuit 'Three Friends' Brush Rest c1725, Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Era
Located in seoul, KR
Modelled as a yellow bird, green deer, and yellow monkey grouped together on a brown-glazed stand. These brush rest with a bird, a monkey and a deer probably refers to the rebus 'may you receive high rank and emolument' or 'general long life, happiness and wealth'
Period : Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Period
Production Date : C 1725
Made in : Jingdezhen
Destination : Netherland
Found/Acquired : Southeast Asia , South China Sea, Ca Mau...
Category
1720s Vietnamese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Pottery
$472 Sale Price
20% Off
Large White Marble Statue of Chinese Flying Apsara
Located in New York, NY
Statue of flying Apsara playing the pipa, finely sculpted from white marble, measuring 51 by 23 by 25 inches. Apparenlty unsigned. In good condition with surface dirt, scratches and...
Category
20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Chinese Blacksmith Iron Scissors on Mount, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This hand-forged pair of 19th century scissors would have been a valuable and versatile tool, whether used by a trained shoemaker to cut leather...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Pair of Qing Dynasty Hand-Carved Wooden Temple Corbels with Deer Motifs
Located in Yonkers, NY
A pair of Chinese Qing Dynasty hand-carved wooden temple corbels from the 18th or 19th century with deer and their young. Originally part of a temple wa...
Category
18th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Limestone Fu Dog Guardian Figure from China, c. 1900
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This limestone carving depicts a Fu Dog Guardian figure and was carved from a solid block. Sculptures such as these were used to protect ones home from bad spirits or bad luck. They ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Limestone
$960 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Chinese Celadon Glazed Temple Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman would use a rigid headrest or neck pillow to keep her head elevated. Whether functional or pure...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Qing Dynasty Wood Sculpture
Located in Dallas, TX
18th/19th Century Chinese Wood Sculpture Of A Emperor or General. Retains Some Polychrome Decoration And Horsehair Beard, Male Figure Seated On ...
Category
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Wood
$2,640 Sale Price
20% Off
Chinese Double Guardian Headrest, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman would use a rigid headrest or neck pillow to keep her head elevated. Whether functional or pure...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Polychrome Wooden Altar Spirit, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Carved in wood, this 19th-century figure of a spirit paid tribute to ancestors past on a traditional altar table. Allowing the base to reflect the wood’s natural state, the artist ca...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Chinese Bamboo Cloth Teapot with Arched Handle, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, resulting in a wide range of social customs and material traditions. In addition to tea leaves, water, and he...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Bamboo
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 Sculptures
Materials
Stone
Chinese Lucky Girl Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman would use a rigid headrest or neck pillow to keep her head elevated. Whether functional or purely decorative, such headrests were crafted from a variety of materials and were often decorated with elaborate patterns or symbolic motifs.
This porcelain headrest...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Ho Ho Boy Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman once used this ceramic headrest as a pillow. This headrest is shaped in the form of a baby boy,...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Hat Stand
Located in Chicago, IL
Out of context, this carved wood hat stand has a curious, octopus-like appearance. Intricately embellished with carved flourishes, the hat Stand displa...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Wood
$310 Sale Price
60% Off
Chinese Children's Hat Charm, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
An unusual and charming antique, this 20th century Chinese charm was once used to adorn the embroidered crown of a traditional children's hat. Amulets such as this were worn on hats ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Chinese Stone Shoemaker's Weight with Zhu Bajie, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand carved of stone, this object would have been used in a shoemaker’s shop to press down large pieces of leather. Doubling as a handle, the central figure depicts the curious figure of a man with pig-like facial features holding a rake. The figure is Zhu Bajie, a character from the Ming-dynasty novel “Journey to the West...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Stone
Bronze Wrathful Deity Ring, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This sculptural bronze object is a charming example of 19th-century metalwork. The bronze figure is formed as a Buddhist wrathful deity, weari...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Set of Three Chinese Gilt Fragments, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand-carved and lavishly pigmented, these gilt fragments originated as decorative elements of ornate Qing-dynasty furniture or architecture. Elevated by ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Wood
$1,680 / set
Chinese Carpenter's Inkline Reel, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Given the beauty and thoughtful design of traditional Chinese furniture, it’s no wonder that Qing-dynasty carpenter’s tools were accorded the same att...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Chinese Auspicious Gourd Carpenter Line, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Given the beauty and thoughtful design of traditional Chinese furniture, it’s no wonder that Qing-dynasty carpenter’s tools were accorded the same att...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Ancient Chinese Hand-Carved Lohan Monk Buddha On Lion, Kangxi, 1661-1722
Located in Torino, IT
A Fine hand-carved and Lacquered wood figure of a Luohan Arhat, Buddha' disciple.
Seated in royal ease on a standing lion, wearing long flowing robes.
China, Kangxi Kingdom 1661-17...
Category
18th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Giltwood, Lacquer
Chinese Blacksmith Iron Scissors on Mount, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This hand-forged metal sculpture, with its delicate appearance and whimsical shape, was once an integral tool to a 19th century Chinese cobbler’s trade. Made of iron, these scissors ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Chinese Abstract Cloud Carpenter Line, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Given the beauty and thoughtful design of traditional Chinese furniture, it’s no wonder that Qing-dynasty carpenter’s tools were accorded the same att...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Qing Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Chinese Stone Shoemaker's Weight with Mother, Cub, and Embroidered Ball
Located in Chicago, IL
Carved from a solid piece of stone, this weight was originally used by a Shoemaker to press down large pieces of leather. Surrounded by intricate scrollwork and peony blossoms, a gua...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures
Materials
Stone
Qing sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Qing sculptures 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 sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, asian art and furniture, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, ceramic and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Qing sculptures made in a specific country, there are Asia, China, and East Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original sculptures, popular names associated with this style include and He Chaozong. 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 sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $48 and tops out at $38,800 while the average work can sell for $1,880.