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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 Pink background Cloisonné "Hundred Antiques" Pattern vase & Stand
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
20th century Chinese export Pink background Cloisonné "Hundred Antiques" Pattern vase & carved hardwood Stand Indulge in the allure of Chinese craftsmanship with this exquisite 2...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Striking Turquoise Pair of Chinese Porcelain Bluebirds
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Pair of Chinese porcelain bluebirds having turquoise bodies and aubergine bases.
Category

1920s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

A very fine 19th century French Cloissone 11and gilt bronze centerpiece
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine 19th century French Orientalist period Cloissone and bronze centerpiece.
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Chinese Export Porcelain Models of White Doves
Located in Downingtown, PA
Chinese Export Porcelain Models of White Doves, Circa 1780 The pair of Chinese Export white doves face each other. The figures, all in white, stand on a tree stump base, their eyes...
Category

Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Pewter Folding Dish
Located in Chicago, IL
This hand held pewter dish is an excellent example of fine Chinese metalwork of the 20th century. During the Qing dynasty, pewter craftsmen experimented with new techniques, showing ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Pewter

Vintage Tall Solid Brass Asian Crane Sculpture
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Lovely tall solid brass crane or heron sculpture in a beautiful pose.
Category

1950s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Chinese Blue and White Eternity Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
This porcelain tea leaf jar is beautifully glazed in the blue-and-white manner, with hand-painted cobalt-blue decoration against a crisp white field. The porcelain jar has a rounded form and flat lid, a traditional shape for jars used to hold Chinese...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

20th Century Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Ginger Jar
Located in Pomona, CA
This magnificent Chinese Antique Blue and White porcelain Ginger Jar was hand made and hand paint from famous Chinese Blue and White P...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Lobed Chinese Pantry Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Charged with the humble task of storing dry goods, this small earthenware jar was hand-shaped in the early 20th century with balanced proportions and a beautifully irregular unglazed...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Terracotta

Chinese Blue and 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 and flat lid, a traditional shape for jars used to hold Chinese...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Large Cobalt Blue Ceramic Urn or Planter
Located in Nantucket, MA
An Asian ceramic large tea container with an amazing cobalt blue glaze. Brass collar. Beautiful shape and in good condition. Could also be used as a planter. Opening of the mouth of the urn is 9". The Lockhart Collection is a personally curated gallery...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Wood Sculpture Container from Old Water Mill Gear, China 1820-40
Located in Round Top, TX
This wood accent piece originally served as a section of gear work from a water mill in China. The deep worn patina of the rich hard wood is warm and inviting. May be used as a conta...
Category

Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Glazed Chinese Kitchen Jar, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
A thick, glossy brown glaze coats the tapered form of this early 20th-century terra cotta kitchen jar, lingering on imperfections and glistening with an iridescent sheen. As evidence...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair Of Chinese Polished Brass Gourd Shaped Bottle Flasks With Lizards
Located in Free Union, VA
A striking and decorative pair of handsome brass bottle flasks, originally oil lamps, fitted with intricate openwork fretwork bases. An alligator like lizard is wrapped around each....
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Qing Dynasty - 13 Antique Chinese Porcelain Enameled Salt Boxes
Located in Atlanta, GA
Chinese, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), 19th century. A grouping or instant collection of antique porcelain enameled salt boxes. Each box is decorated with immortal being riding the fabl...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

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

Glazed Chinese Kitchen Jar, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Originally used to store foods or pickle vegetables in a provincial Chinese kitchen, this late 19th-century ceramic jar is coated inside and out with a...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Canton Chinese Export Porcelain Chestnut Bowl
Located in Dublin 8, IE
19th Century Canton Chinese Export Rose Medallion porcelain chestnut bowl with lid featuring painted interior scenes of figures, birds and flowers with gi...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Export Cloisonné Box
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Lovely Chinese export cloisonné box made of brass and enameled with a beautiful floral pattern on a green background. This decorative box was most likely a cigarette box or trinket b...
Category

1920s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Enamel

Vintage Chinese Black and Red Lacquer Floral Painted Lidded Wooden Basket Box
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Chinese Black and Red Lacquer Floral Painted Lidded Wooden Basket Box. Circa Early to Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 11" H x 12" W x 12" D.
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

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

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

18th Century Chinese Export Porcelain Punch Bowl
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A mid-18th century Chinese export porcelain punch bowl, hand-painted with "The Judgement of Paris" after Rubens. European ceramicists borrowed motifs from Chinese porcelains through...
Category

1760s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

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

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Monumental Cracked Chinese Oil Jar with Repairs
Located in Dallas, TX
The Brendan Bass Estate Collection is an homage to the beauty of vintage and antique pieces, each artfully concealing endless stories collected through the generations in which they...
Category

19th Century Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Pottery

Late 19th Century Antique Chinese Wooden Jewelry Box, Cosmetic Box
Located in Pomona, CA
This beautiful antique Jewelry box was made from solid wood with original mirror and antique hardware on it. The top of the jewelry box c...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Late 19th Century Antique Chinese Femille Rose Porcelain Bowl With Marks
Located in Pomona, CA
This is an Antique Chinese Famille Rose Porcelain Bowl. As you can see in the pictures, it is in very good conditions. It shows very neat unique design and hand painted floral inside...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Large Oval Jewelry Box, Color with with Internal Compartments France 19th
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
This is an Ovale large box. It has been decorated with a sivered color metal plate and lid. It has been made in France, during the 19th Century. In brown color. It is a jelwery box.
Category

19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Pair of Polychrome Khmer Guardian Lions, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Grand and imposing, these monumental lion sculptures offer protection to all those who stand before them. Dated to the mid-19th century, the ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Southeast Asian Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Crystal

20th Century Chinese Carved Bronze Incense Burner
Located in Pomona, CA
This magnificent Chinese Antique Carved Bronze incense burner has very detailed hand craft works around the body, a lot of open carved Buddhist floral pattern with dragon on lid and ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Chinoiserie Decorated Mantel Clock circa 1920s
Located in Dereham, GB
Chinoiserie Decorated Mantel Clock circa 1920s Black Background with gilt decoration Dome shaped top , with gilt brass columns each side. Cream ena...
Category

1920s British Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Lacquer

Mini Pair of Vintage Turquoise Glazed Ceramic Foo Dogs, China, circa 1980's
Located in Chatham, ON
Miniature pair of vintage turquoise glazed ceramic Foo Dogs - molded forms - hand painted glossy glaze - unsigned - China - circa 1980's. Excellent vintage condition - minor glaze...
Category

Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Chinese Export Blue and White Jar Porcelain Hand Painted, Qing 18th Century
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a heavy Chinese Export porcelain jar hand painted with a blue and white lakeside scene and dating to the late 18th century, Qing dynasty. This is a well potted piece with a ...
Category

Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Vintage Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Dragon Plate
Located in Pomona, CA
This Vintage Blue and White Porcelain Plate is hand made with hand Paint dragon design on it. Very good quality porcelain and beautiful pattern. it will be a beautiful decoration pie...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Monumental Cracked Chinese Oil Jar with Repairs
Located in Dallas, TX
The Brendan Bass Estate Collection is an homage to the beauty of vintage and antique pieces, each artfully concealing endless stories collected through the generations in which they...
Category

19th Century Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Pottery

19th Century Chinese Export Lacquer Decorated Tea Caddy Box
Located in Atlanta, GA
Chinese for the English market, 19th century. A fine quality antique Chinese export tea caddy decorated with beautiful gilding surfaces, a hinged lid which opens to reveal a tooled ...
Category

19th Century English Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Pewter

Chinese Export Cloisonné Box
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Lovely Chinese export cloisonné box made of brass and enameled with a beautiful floral pattern in beautiful colors of red, green, blue and red. The box rests on ball feet. This chino...
Category

1910s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Enamel

Chinese Export Porcelain Rare Turquoise Fruit Baskets & Stands- a Pair
Located in Downingtown, PA
Chinese Export Porcelain Turquoise Openwork Fruit Baskets & Stands, Circa 1785 The Chinese Export porcelain openwork fruit baskets and stands are painted with an allover turquoise e...
Category

Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Large Polychromed Vases by the designer Kenzo Takada (1939-2020)
Located in Richmond Hill, ON
EXTREMELY DECORATIV! Pair of LARGE VASES BY THE FAMOUS JAPANESE DESIGNER KENZO TAKADA. Square section with flared circular neck, in imitation of Chinese vases Famille noir porcelai...
Category

Early 2000s Japanese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

A Shapely 19th Century Chinese Export Black Lacquered Dressing Box
Located in San Francisco, CA
the scalloped top centering an oval medallion radiating coved reserves above a conforming body fitted with brass bale handles;  finely decorated with gilded figures in a garden lands...
Category

1880s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

19th Century Pair of Chinese Guardian Lions in Red and Gold Lacquer
Located in NICE, FR
We present you with this stunning pair of statues representing Chinese guardian lions, also known as lions of Fo, made in red and gold lacquer and painted wood. Their origins date ba...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

Tall Chinese Porcelain Bottle Vase Sapphire Blue 6 Char Mk, Late 19thC Qing
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a very beautiful, highly decorative Tall Chinese bottle vase with a monochrome or single glaze colour of a fine sapphire-blue, which we date to the late 19th century, Qing period . This Chinese Export vase is well potted on a fairly tall foot, having a globular body, with a long cylindrical stick neck. On close inspection the glaze has a beautiful finely speckled texture, the depth of colour draining from the top rim where it is slightly lighter to a darker shade at the foot where the glaze thickens. The foot rim is well hand cut with an orange coloured iron oxide ring just above the foot rim and below the glaze, where the air hit the porcelain in the kiln. This is a heavy vase weighing about 2.75 Kg unpacked. The blue is a superb shade of dark sapphire / steel /dark sky blue colour. The inner neck area and centre of the base are also glazed. The base carries a hand painted six figure apocryphal Qing Kangxi ( 1662 to 1722) mark but this piece dates to the late 19th Century, in the later part of the Qing Dynasty. These single colour monochrome vases are often small with heights of about 7 or 8 inches but this is a much larger piece measuring well over 14 inches in height. Its elegant form, reminiscent of the traditional Guanyin vases...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Mid-Century Large Scale Chinese Export Reclining Exotic Cat Pottery Figurine
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This a a large scale Chinese reclining exotic cat figurine. It is in very good condition. The figurine is unmarked and believed to be a mid-century pi...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Pottery

Enormous Pair of Blanc de Chine Asian Floor Vases with Striking Scale
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Impressive in scale, gigantic pair of blanc de chine Asian porcelain floor vases or urns. Top opening 8" diameter
Category

1960s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Large 20th-C. Chinese Export Style Blue & White Ginger Jars W/ Foo Dogs - Pair
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a late 20th century Chinese Export style pair of blue and white ginger jars with foo dogs finials and pastoral scenes. They are unmarked and in very good condition.
Category

Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Pottery

Rare Pair of 18th Century-19th Century Chinese Porcelain Parrots Candelabra
Located in Montreal, QC
Rare pair of 18th century-19th century Chinese porcelain parrots candelabra resting gilt bronze Louis XVI style bases.
Category

Early 1800s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Art Deco Dragon Jardinere
Located in New York, NY
Fanciful Chinese export hand decorated jardiniere featuring incised dragon motifs.
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Clay

Chinese Export Blue and White Porcelain Box
Located in New York, NY
Decorated in cobalt blue with pagodas in a riverscape; interior fitted with six compartments.
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Mid 20th Century Chinese Lidded Ginger Jars Vases
Located in Pearland, TX
A lovely pair of vintage Chinese Kangxi style handmade ceramic lidded ginger jars hand painted in vibrant cobalt blue and white. These fabulous jars are decorated with flower pots in...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Chinese Hand Painted Blue And White Porcelain Dragon Vase
Located in Bradenton, FL
19th Century Chinese Export blue and white porcelain dragon vase. Beautiful hand-painted vase with blue dragons on white background and an elong...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Canton Chinese Porcelain Box
Located in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Canton Chinese porcelain box. Chinese export. Circa 1920 origin China. Rectangular format. With internal divisions. Family Rosse style. Box...
Category

Early 1900s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Export Blanc de Chine Prunus & Bird Motif Relief Vase, Bulbous
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Chinese Export Blanc de Chine Prunus & Bird Motif Relief Vase, Bulbous China, 20th Century, Incised honorific Jiaqing four-character mark Enhance your interior with this exquisit...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Chinese Export Rose Medallion Bowl & Hardwood Stand
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
19th Century Chinese Export Rose Medallion Bowl & Hardwood Stand China, circa 1880s, Later carved hardwood stand 20th Century Of good size, bright and colorful, hand painted and en...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Two Late Qing Dynasty Cloisonné Enamel and Gilt Bronze Vases
Located in London, GB
The enamel vases in this pair are of ‘garlic head’ form, each sitting on a four-leg, four scrolled foot wooden stand. The vases are of tripartite form. Each vase features a flared neck, an ovoid body, and a pinched stem, and each includes four gilt bronze (ormolu) medallions fashioned into reticulated cloud scroll patterns. Glimpsed through the reticulated medallions of each vase is a smaller, nestled vase, similarly decorated to the external shell. The body of each vase presents a rich blue enamel ground onto which cloisonné enamel motifs, bounded within gold enamel wire, are worked. The motifs are traditional, ranging from lotus scrolls and lotus flowers to ruyi heads, and are executed in a bold green, red, yellow, and pink palette. Upon the neck of each vase are mounted two gilt bronze elephant...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Enamel, Bronze, Ormolu

Antique Chinese Silver Gilt and Enamel Peacock
Located in Riverdale, NY
Antique Chinese Silver Gilt and Enamel Peacock from the 1940's on hand carved wood stand. Delicately constructed of vermeil sterling with colorf...
Category

1940s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Sterling Silver, Enamel

Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Bowl
Located in Pomona, CA
This is a Antique Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Bowl. As you can see in the pictures, it is in very good conditions. I...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Green Glazed Pottery Recumbent Foo Dog Figurines
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine pair of Chinese foo dog figurines. In a green, glazed pottery. Depicting complementary recumbent foo dogs with slightly raised heads and upwa...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Pottery

Chinese Export Rose Medallion Canton Porcelain Punch Bowl w/ Multiple Cartooges
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Enhance your leaving space with this early 19th Century Chinese Export Rose Medallion Famille Rose canton porcelain punch bowl with multiple cartooge panels. The exterior of this go...
Category

Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Antique Chinese Cloisonné Vases
Located in Palm Beach, FL
True pair of antique Chinese cloisonne vases decorated in an unusual composition depicting flowers in a stand against an alluring blue ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

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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