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Chinese Export Decorative Objects

CHINESE EXPORT STYLE

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.

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Style: Chinese Export
Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Patinated Bronze Tapered Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a bronze tapered urn with a green and black patina, decorated with raised geometric patterns and linear, carved pieces extending outward fro...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Chinese Famille Rose Plates with Garden Scenes, C. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
During the 18th century, Europeans provided an eager market for Chinese export porcelain, especially the colorful and fanciful ware known as “famille rose.” Named for a palette of opaque overglaze enamels that favored roses and pinks, famille rose porcelain ware was crafted with the same technical virtuosity as imperial porcelain but designed for Western tastes. This pair of fine porcelain dishes is a beautiful example of famille rose, decorated with pastel enamels in a palette of purple, turquoise, and pink. The center of each plate is decorated with a calm scene of a woman and a young boy in a garden, surrounded by flowering plum branches and lingzhi fungi of immortality. The scene is bordered by an all-over purple fish...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Blue and White Fu Lion Headrest
Located in Chicago, IL
This square ceramic block is actually a form of Chinese headrest or neck pillow. Popular during the Qing dynasty, rigid headrests such as this were used by upper-class women to prote...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White, Green, and Pink Floral and Rooster Design Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (early 20th century) white porcelain urn incised and painted with decorations of roosters amid blooming floral branches mixed with geometric patterned bands at the bo...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Blue and Purple Glazing Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (early 20th Century) blue vase with purple and pink glazing that creates an ethereal effect across its pear-shaped form. Condition: Good; Wear consistent with age an...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Vintage Chinese Metal Gilt Filigree and Enamel Cranes Figures on Wooden Stand
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage Chinese Gilt Metal Filigree and Enamel Cranes Figures on Wooden Stand. Mid 20th century circa 1950s Asian fine jeweled sculptures. Two Orient...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Large pair 19th Century Rose medallion vases on stands.
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very impressive good quality pair of 19th Century Chinese Cantonese / Rose medallion vases on stands. Each with classical green ground, inset hand painted panels depicting various ...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain, Giltwood

Pair of Chinese Peony Fantail Vases, c. 1920s
Located in Chicago, IL
Resplendent with lush florals and brilliant color, this pair of porcelain vases combines stencil work with hand-painted foliage in a decorative style popular during the first two decades of the 20th century. The stenciled petals and blooms of the peonies, symbols of love and affection, create a graphic pattern of soft, modulated color, while the painted stems and small flowers punctuate the design with sharp detail. Innovative in decoration, the vases are firmly rooted in China’s time-honored ceramic tradition with their Classic fantail contours and butterfly handles.
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Chinese Ormolu-Mounted Cloisonne Garniture
Located in London, GB
A fine French ormolu-mounted cloisonne enamel three-piece garniture with applied decoration of butterflies flowers and branches. The vases are converted as lamps.
Category

1880s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Ormolu

Chinese Green Floral Scrolling Design Ginger Jar Vases
Located in Queens, NY
3 Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) similar green ginger jars with floral scrolling designs surrounding circular, yellow, centered emblems, unglazed openings, and a hole in the ba...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Heavy Hand Carved Rose Quartz Large Owl Sculpture/Figurine
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a very detailed hand carved rose quartz heavy owl sculpture/figurine. It depicts different shades of pink. It is standing over what appears to be a branch of Cercis tree surr...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Rose Quartz

Chinese Green and Red Lu Xing Wealth and Prosperity Deific Porcelain Figurine
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) glazed porcelain statue of Lu Xing, one of the deities of the three stars considered essential in Chinese astrology, each...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Vintage solid brass and enamel Chinese export trinket box.
Located in Allentown, PA
This is a vintage Chinese export solid brass and enamel trinket box. This solid brass box has four medallions on the top and medallions on each side of the box. The top of the box fe...
Category

1970s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Chinese Squared Famille Rose Ginger Jar with Ritual Vessels, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautifully commemorated on this squared ginger jar, tripod censers and bronze ritual vessels have been used for thousands of years in Chinese cultur...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Black and Gold Tole Scroll Handle Vessel Planters
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Chinese black and gold tole vessels with scrolled handles and a painted fold design of figures sitting amongst a variety of florals on a r...
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Guanyin in Carved Wood and Polichrome, China, Early 20th Century, Asian Art
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Guanyin in carved wood and polichrome, China, early 20th century, Asian art Measures: H 56cm, W 16cm, W 15cm.
Category

1910s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Chinese Rose Quartz Sculpture of a Chinese Man Holding a Ruyi Scepter
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a rose quartz heavy sculpture of a Chinese man holding a ruyi scepter. The sculpture is standing over an asymmetrical oval base adorned with some ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Rose Quartz

Vintage Figure Set of Miniature Terracotta Chinese Xian Warriors
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful set of Terracotta sculptures representing Xian Warriors. This set of figures is incredibly detailed and presents 4 warriors and a horse. Intrica...
Category

1960s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Clay

Hand Carved Soap Stone Chinese Buddha Sculpture
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Exceptional vintage hand carved stone chinese Buddha.
Category

1980s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Stone

Chinese Multicolor Glazed Porcelain Pheasant Sculpture
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Mid 20th Century) porcelain sculpture of a pheasant with colorful, gold-outlined plumes perched on a rocky formation of green and brown.  
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Porcelain Traditional Figures
Located in Queens, NY
7 Asian Chinese (20th Cent) porcelain figures in blue and white patterns in traditional dress (PRICED EACH).
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White and Pink, Blue and Yellow Bogu Pattern Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) white porcelain urn painted with pink, light blue, and yellow bogu pattern - a traditional decorative theme that employs items like bronzeware, p...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Blue & White Double Happiness Spice Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
The symbol for double happiness adorns this round tea leaf jar with best wishes for love, companionship and marital bliss. Glazed in the classic blue and white manner, the porcelain jar has a rounded form with a slight taper and is topped by a flat lid, a traditional shape for jars used to hold Chinese...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Bai Tea Leaf Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
Rendered in a striking cool white glaze, this contemporary porcelain jar offers a modern take on a classic form. Lidded jars like these were used in tea shops in China, where tea dri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Antique, Chinese Hand Painted Meal Delivery and Lunch Box
Located in Pomona, CA
This Antique lacquered painted lunch box from China has about 100 years history and still maintained very good condition. There are some traditiona...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Antique 19th C Blue and White Chinese Porcelain Footed Incense Burner
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique 19th C Blue and White Chinese Porcelain Footed Incense Burner. Item features blue and white scenes with birds and trees, scrolling handles, footed tripod base, pierced lid, v...
Category

19th Century Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

A 20th Century Chinese Porcelain Table Lantern (SINGLE ITEM)
Located in San Francisco, CA
Pair of very fine Chinese butterfly decorated table lanterns, 20th century. In the tradition of marriage lanterns. Composed of four parts each. Finely enameled decorated borders wi...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Enamel

Chinese Light Gray and Red Cherry Blossom Tree Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese light gray porcelain vase with a flowering red and gray cherry blossom tree stretching up its urn-shaped form.   
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Large Pair of Canton / Rose Medallion Vases or Lamps, 19th Century
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very impressive pair of 19th century Chinese Cantonese or rose medallion vases or lamps. Each with wonderful bold colors, with classical oriental scenes of courtiers walking around...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Ormolu

Pair of Chinese White and Pink Cherry Blossom Motif Lidded Porcelain Urns
Located in Queens, NY
"Pair of Chinese white porcelain urns decorated with dark pink and green-leafed cherry blossoms growing up the rounded forms, finished with red-finial topped lids and made with holes...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White and Navy Blue Botanical Design Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) white, porcelain urn decorated with a blue botanical scene of an oversized peony emerging from a marsh under a bird...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Blue and Orange Fish Design Lidded Porcelain Jars
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Chinese (Mid 20th Century) lidded porcelain jars with orange fish swimming on blue, sponged backgrounds, inspired by patterns from the Ming Dynasty...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Olive Green Multi-Tube Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese olive green and brown glaze porcelain vase with one tall tube surrounded by four shorter tubes, all extending from a bulbous shape, on a circular foot. Necks have been repa...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Mauve Glazed Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese tall glazed porcelain vase in an elegant mauve shade (date mark on bottom, see photos).      
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White Green and Yellow Vegetal Winter Melon Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (early 20th century) winter melon-form porcelain vase decorated with an incised, white bottom half that grows into verdant abstracted vegetal and peacock shapes on th...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese White and Cherry Blossom Branch Porcelain Urns
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of similar Chinese white porcelain urns depicting small yellow birds in cherry blossom branches on the fronts, and characters on the rever...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Blue and White Mythical Bowl with Deer
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautiful to behold yet liable to dart away at any moment, the deer is an apt symbol of wealth and prosperity. On this bowl, the artist used rapid and free-flowing brushwork to depic...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Chinese Emperor and Empress Wooden Statues
Located in Pomona, CA
This pair of Antique Chinese Emperor and Empress Statues are 100% hand made and hand carved with paint and gilt on them. Some of the paint and gilt has been worn off but overall they are in good condition. Look at the pictures, you can see that they are in many years history with some age wear. Now you can have them on your collection shelf. Size: 6in H x 2 3/4in W x 2in D each Origin: China Circa: Late Qing era Material: Wood Condition: Hand made, hand painted, normal age wear. Disclaimer: Due to differences in monitor/screen settings, product colors may differ slightly between product photos...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Monumental Fish and Flora Blue and White Gooseneck Vase
Located in Chicago, IL
Revered for centuries for its elegant designs and rich cobalt blue and pure white colors, traditional Chinese blue-and-white porcelain lives on in this hand-painted bottleneck vase. Delicately rendered with fish and flora beneath fanciful waves, the vase's whimsical motif draws from these traditional Chinese symbols...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Squared Fantail Vases with Egrets Beneath Lotus
Located in Chicago, IL
Defined by angular shoulders and a flared lip, this pair of tall porcelain vases offer a charming variation of the classic Chinese phoenix-tail vase form. Each vase is patterned with...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Large Scale Carved Stone Chinese Foo Dogs / Temple Lions
Located in Dallas, TX
a pair of large scale, well carved stone Chinese Foo Dogs / Temple Lions, these are carved out of stone and are traditional Chinese architectural ornaments, China, circa 1920
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Stone

Chinese Export Pigskin Box
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Chinese export pigskin box now on custom made stand as a side table. Early 20th century. Foo dogs, birds, flower & auspicious symbols. 15 1/2" w., 9 1/2" d...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Animal Skin

19th Century Chinese Bronze Incense Vessel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautifully chased 19th century bronze. In three parts. Great as just a table sculpture.
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Chinese Beige Botancial Motif Rounded Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) bulbous porcelain vase with pink florals and an orange bird amid green leaves on one side and characters on the reverse. There is dark, speckled ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Double Happiness Temple Jar, circa 19th Century
Located in Bradenton, FL
This blue-and-white temple jar stands tall with broad shoulders that taper to a splayed base. Bordered by a simple meander at the neck, the jar is decorated with a dense pattern of o...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair Antique Cloissone Vases
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair Antique Cloissone vases is an extraordinary example of the breed, displaying its well-preserved, rich coloration and exhibiting a large format d...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Enamel

Chinese Blue and White Fu Lion Headrest
Located in Chicago, IL
This small ceramic block is actually a form of Chinese headrest or neck pillow. Popular during the Qing dynasty, rigid headrests such as this were used by upper-class women to protect their elaborate hairstyles by elevating the head during slumber. This example dates to the late 20th century and is glazed in the blue-and-white style with a stencil-transfer design. Each side of the headrest has a quadrilobe cartouche framing two mythical fu lions playing with a brocade ball, a motif that evokes the idiom "may you and your descendant achieve high rank." A powerful and benevolent guardian, the fu lion (shizi) is the perfect force to protect against nightmares and bad energy. The playful scene is surrounded by a cracked ice pattern dotted with plum blossoms, symbols of winter and longevity. A geometric meander trims the corners and small bats frame coin...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Pale Green and Pink Blossom Lidded Jars
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Chinese pale green lidded jars decorated with lily pads and pink lotus blossoms on one side of their round forms and extending up to the lids,...
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Rare Chinese Export Solid Silver & Enamel Bowl, Wo Kwong circa 1890
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Antique late 19th century extremely rare Chinese export solid silver and enamel bowl, the sides are applied with shaded enamels, depicting bloomin...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Silver, Enamel

Chinese Beige and Green Botanical Motif Rounded Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) bulbous porcelain vase with pink florals and a yellow-chested bird amid green leaves on one side and characters on the reverse. There is speckled...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Handmade Wooden Chinese Hat Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Chinese wooden hat box - handmade, with a chinoiserie image. The box is in very good condition with fitted top, the wood is a wonderful patinated colo...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Chinese White and Green Vegetal Winter Melon Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) winter melon-form porcelain vase decorated with an incised, white bottom half that grows into verdant abstracted vegetal and peacock shapes on th...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Porcelain Armorial Urns by Naples Capodimonte 19th Century
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A pair of hand painted porcelain with armorial cartouches on the fronts and bouquets of flowers on the backs. The shapely form with cobalt and hand gilt decoration, marked with the N...
Category

1880s European Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Early 20 Century Vintage Chinese Dark Green Glaze Pottery Vase/Liquor Bottle
Located in Pomona, CA
Our wonderful collection of handmade old vintage Chinese hand made glazed pottery vase/liquor bottle will make great accent pieces for any room of your house. It has some imperfection signs of age and usage on the mouth of vase and distressed patina. Take a close look at the pictures, there are some Buddha symbols...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Chinese Iron and Gilt Buddha Bust
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style gilt and polychromed cast iron bust of Buddha.  
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron, Wrought Iron

Pair of Chinese Monumental Imari-Style Blue Porcelain Urns
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese monumental blue and gold floral porcelain vases celebrating Japanese Imari ware in both palette and design, with a central figurative scene of women in a garden flank...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Blue Glazed Tripod Censer
Located in Chicago, IL
Censers have been used for thousands of years in Chinese culture as an element of prayer, ritual, and funerary rites. Placed within a shrine and filled with burning incense, the censer issues fragrant smoke that the duration of the ritual and acts as an offering to one's ancestors or religious deities. This round ceramic incense burner...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Large Jewelry or Decorative Box Brown Red colors Color Japan 19th
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Jewelry or Decorative Box Brown Red colors Color Japan 19th
Category

19th Century Japanese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Chinese Export decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Chinese Export decorative 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 decorative objects created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, asian art and furniture, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, porcelain and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Chinese Export decorative objects made in a specific country, there are Asia, East Asia, and China pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative objects, popular names associated with this style include Europa Antiques, Hung Chong & Co., Mottahedeh, and Samson & Cie. 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 decorative objects differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $68 and tops out at $216,780 while the average work can sell for $1,500.

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