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
Pair of Antique Chinese Branches & Birds Patterned Porcelain Rouleau Form Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Antique Chinese (late 19th-early 20th Century) porcelain rouleau-form vases with a pattern featuring sprawling tree branches and foliage in greens, pinks, and browns, and bir...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
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 protec...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Vintage Chinese Cloisonné Porcelain Enamel Figural Crane and Deer Vase - a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Chinese Cloisonné Porcelain Enamel Figural Crane and Deer Vase - a Pair. Item features a removable carved wooden base, crane birds, deer, and flowers throughout, large impres...
Category
Early 20th Century Asian Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Brass
Chinese White and Blue Natural Design Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) white, porcelain urn decorated in a blue scene of a bird perched on a flowering branch above water, and accented with two light blue scrolled hand...
Category
19th 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
Chinese White and Figurative Pastoral Scene Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) white porcelain urn decorated with a detailed and lively scene of people gathering in a pastoral Setting and blue...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
A Pair of Vintage Chinese Buffalo Horn Carved Eagle Sculptures
Located in Pomona, CA
This pair of vintage Chinese Buffalo horn carved eagle sculptures are 100 percent hand made and hand carved from Buffalo horn. In ancient China, The ea...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Horn
$562 Sale Price
25% Off
Pair Louis XVI Style Chinese-Export Ormolu Mounted Famille Rose Porcelain Vases
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A fine pair of Louis XVI style chinoiserie gilt-bronze mounted Chinese export famille rose porcelain vases. The ovoid hand painted porcelain body with dual scenes of a sword presenta...
Category
Early 1900s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Ormolu
$6,338 Sale Price / set
24% Off
20pcs WanShouWuJiang Chinese Porcelain Tea Service Set
Located in Brea, CA
20 Pieces vintage Chinese set of tea and coffee service set, WanShouWuJiang yellow ground, all marked on the bottom : QIANLONGNIANZHI,
No crake, on...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Antique Asian Bronze Elephant Sculpture Statue 19th c.
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Antique Asian Bronze Elephant Sculpture Statue late 19th c.
Asian Chinese antique cast bronze elephant sculpture.
Ceremonial cast metal elephant with beautiful detailed carving on hi...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Pair Of Chinese Hardstone Guardian Lions
Located in Norwood, NJ
Pair of hand carved Chinese Jade hardstone Foo Lions or Fu Dogs. This pair of Chinese spinach jade appears to be a nephrite, covered vases having a figural foo lion design with raise...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Jade
$3,550 / set
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
$8,800 / set
Vintage Chinese Hand Painted Porcelain Floral Ginger Jar
Located in Pomona, CA
This large porcelain ginger jar with lid has a stunning hand painted design of flowers, vines, leaves and butterflies. Beautiful colors of Pink, Orange, Green, Yellow and Blue plants...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
$438 Sale Price
25% Off
Antique Chinese Decorated Lacquer Decorative Box
Located in Houston, TX
Antique Chinese lacquer decorated decorative box. This Stunning Chinese export hand decorated lacquered box is the perfect accessory for a coffee table or dressing table. Could be used for jewelry or important documents.
Category
1920s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Lacquer
Spode “Tabacco Leaf” Punch Bowl after Chinese Export Design, England, ca. 1820
By B. Spode
Located in Atlanta, GA
Spode “Tabacco Leaf” Punch bowl after Chinese Export design, England ca. 1820.
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Ormolu Bowl Produced for Export to Islamic Market
Located in London, GB
Antique Chinese ormolu bowl produced for export to Islamic Market
Chinese, early 20th century
Measures: Height 13cm, width 31cm, depth 22cm
This ch...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Ormolu
Set of Five Petite Chinese Cloisonné Process Vases
Located in Chicago, IL
A decorative technique first adopted in China in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644), cloisonné is achieved by outlining intricate patterns with thin strips of metal, which are then f...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Copper, Enamel
Samson Porcelain Jardiniere
Located in Essex, MA
Bright enamels with birds and prunus. Interior decorated with carp and pinwheel lotus design. Stylized cinnabar red dragon heads on each side. From a Montecito California estate.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
19th Century Squared Spinach Jade Snuff Bottle with Unique Design
Located in Lomita, CA
This spinach jade snuff bottle has a geometric appearance with its squared silhouette and ledge that is ergonomically designed to accommodate a finger or a thumb while using the bott...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Jade
$1,163 Sale Price
34% Off
Asian Gilt Guan Yin Buddha
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese Asian style gilt carved figure of seated Guan Yin Buddha on a lotus base (20th Cent)
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Giltwood
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
$738 Sale Price
25% Off
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
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
$248 / item
Pair of Chinese Pink and White Porcelain Double Gourd Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese (late 19th Century) white porcelain vases with pink pastoral scenes sweeping around the double gourd forms, and red and gold patterned bands at the bottoms, centers a...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of White and Blue Pattern Lidded Porcelain Ginger Jars
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Chinese white and blue porcelain lidded ginger jars painted with floral and vine motifs, Greek key patterned bands at the openin...
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
$360 Sale Price
20% Off
Chinese Blue and White Koi Bottleneck 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. ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese 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
Vintage Shanghai Wicker Dog Basket or Box
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Charming mid century lidded dog box ambitiously handcrafted in wicker and wood with an uncanny essence of dog. From the famed Shanghai Collection.
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Wicker
Mid-20th Century Chinese Carved Landscape Sculpture, Scholar art
Located in Pomona, CA
This sculpture has exquisite carved landscaping and buildings, etc. Detailed hand carving works on a piece of Boxwood. It was used as paper weigh - a scholar arts on the desk. Look a...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Boxwood
$288 Sale Price
25% Off
Pair of Antique Chinese or Japanese Oriental Vases Hand Painted and Signed Urns
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely pair of antique oriental vases
They look Japanese circa 1800 to me but I’m no expert, they are ...
Category
Early 1800s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
$674 Sale Price / set
30% Off
Chinese Export Buddha's Hand Citron Altar Fruit on Tazza, Blanc de Chine
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Chinese Export Buddha's Hand Citron Altar Fruit on Tazza, Blanc de Chine. A rare form, realistically modeled
Chinese Buddha's Hand Citron, presented on a scalloped compote. This wo...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
$896 Sale Price
25% Off
Early 20th Century Chinese Black Glaze Pottery Vase
Located in Pomona, CA
Our wonderful collection of handmade old vintage Chinese hand made glazed pottery vase will make great accent pieces for any room of your house. It has some imperfection signs of age...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Pottery
$296 Sale Price
25% Off
Pair of Chinese Famille Verte Vases with Ancient Censers, 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 verte.” Named for a palette of o...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of 19th Century Chinese Export Famille Rose Vases Gilt Foo Lion Handles
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of 19th-Century Chinese Export Famille Rose Vases with Gilt Foo Lion Handles
China, Qing Dynasty, circa 1880
Dimensions: 7.75” high × 3” diameter × 2.5” base diameter
A vibra...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Chinese Imari-Style Monumental Lidded Porcelain Urns
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese monumental lidded porcelain floor vases celebrating Japanese Imari ware in both palette and decoration, featuring central medallions of birds perched on flowering tre...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Silversmith, Lidded Jar / Box Richly Decorated in Relief, Approx. 1900
Located in København, Copenhagen
Chinese silversmith. Lidded jar richly decorated in relief with flowers and ornaments.
China approx. 1900.
Stamped with Chinese characters.
In excellent condition with traces of u...
Category
Early 1900s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Silver
Carved Vintage Tibetan or Thailand Polychromed and Giltwood Mandalay Statue
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Wood. Carved gold painted. Polychrome. Figural. 55 1/2" h x 23" w x 9" d.
Condition
Paint loss. Splits in wood. Some jewels missing. Surface scratches.
Category
1940s Asian Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Walnut
$1,036 Sale Price
20% Off
Two Pairs, 18th Century Mandarin Pallet Chinese Export Vases
Located in Dallas, TX
On left:
Pair of early 18th century mandarin pallet Chinese vases decorated with various scenes and gilt handles (on neck), orange ground with blue borders around scenes, visible rep...
Category
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
19th Century Blue & White Large Chinese Vase
Located in North Salem, NY
19th century large Chinese blue & white hand painted vase.
Category
19th Century Asian Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
$712 Sale Price
25% Off
Early 20th Century Antique Chinese Carved Stone Buddha Head Sculpture
Located in Pomona, CA
Look at this magnificent Chinese Antique Carved Stone Buddha Head. It was dated back to 1920s and shows very detailed hand carving works on it. You can see from the pictures that It ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Stone
$1,012 Sale Price
25% Off
Chinese Export Black Leather Box On Stand
Located in Essex, MA
Rectangular box with brass tacks and hinged lid set in a brass base.
Category
1850s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Brass
Chinese Antique Textiles and Embroidery Edition in Chinese
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Chinese antique textiles and embroidery.
Chinese language,
Great textile art table book.
Distributed by Eliane j Giraud Dupont Editeur, Paris....
Category
1950s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Paper
Chinese Off-White and Blue Vine Lidded Porcelain Ginger Jar
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) lidded porcelain ginger jar with a dark blue vine and floral motif against a white ground, and bold blue characters on 4 sides.
Wear throughout...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Fu Lion Fantail Vase, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
This porcelain vase from the early 20th-century is sculpted to a classic phoenix-tail silhouette and decorated on all sides with mythical fu lions. Also known as shizi or foo dogs, f...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Mid-Century Chinese Black & Gold Cloisonné 'Good Luck' Circular Table Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Mid-Century Chinese black & gold cloisonné 'good luck' circular table box.
The tall circular box of exceptional quality, The conforming removable lid enameled with the Chinese character for 'Happiness' A stately piece, its an unusual example in black cloisonné fish...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Brass
$636 Sale Price
20% Off
Large Chinese Blue and White Baluster Jar with Shizi
Located in Chicago, IL
Images of shizi, a lion-dog symbol of power and strength of character, cavort among the stylized clouds of heaven on this hand-painted covered jar. Original...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Blue and White Four Flowers Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
Loosely brushed with cobalt blue pigments, this round, blue-and-white storage jar is underglazed with lush garden scenery featuring the flowering plants of the four seasons. Tree peo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Circa 1850 Chinese Export Papier Mache Footed Tray
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Circa 1850 Chinese export papier mache footed tray. Exquisitely hand painted & gilded. Minor rubbing & darkening commensurate with age, material & use. Text worn away label intact.
7...
Category
1850s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Paint, Paper
Large Vintage Decorative Chinese Cloissone Vase with Imperial Dragon Handles
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This large vintage cloissone vase is signed by an unknown maker, and originated from China dating to approximately 1980 and done in a Chinese Export st...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Brass
Chinese Taoist Han Elder Man Longevity God Porcelain Figurine
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese porcelain figurine with a long beard and raised forehead, clad in yellow and blue robes and holding a staff that symbolizes health ...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Mid-Century Chinese Tessellated Bone Horses
Located in Palm Beach, FL
With a reference to the Tang Dynasty an impressive pair of Chinese horses, hand crafted in a tessellated technique with carved bone as a symbol ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Bone
Set of Eight Chinese Cloisonné Process Vases
Located in Chicago, IL
A decorative technique first adopted in China in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644), cloisonné is achieved by outlining intricate patterns with thin strips of metal, which are then f...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Copper, Enamel
Chinese Green and Botanical Hand-Made Tole Lidded Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese hand-made, light green tole urn painted with branches, fruit, and a dark green band at the base and finished with a finial atop its lid.
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Metal
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
Large Chinese Export Punch Bowl in Mandarin Palette & Gilt Accents, ca. 1780
Located in Atlanta, GA
Large Chinese Export punch bowl in Mandarin Palette & Gilt Accents, ca. 1780.
Category
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Zee Sung Signed Chinese Export Antique Chased Silver Presentation Bowl & Stand
By Zee Sung
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This silver bowl was made by Zee Sung of China in approximately 1910 in the period Chinese Export style. The bowl is composed of silver with six stylized petal shaped panels done wit...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Silver
Early 20th Century Chinese Famille Rose Hand Painted Porcelain Vase
Located in Dallas, TX
Crafted in China circa 1920, the tall vase is round in shaped with an elegant long neck. The colorful antique urn is decorated with hand painted figural motifs including a mother playing with children. The large Famille Rose...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Chinese Gilt Foo Dogs
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Asian Chinese style gilt carved foo dog figures holding a open design ball
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Giltwood
$1,500 / set
Pair of 19th Century Ormolu-Mounted Chinese Porcelain Vases
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of 19th century ormolu-mounted Chinese porcelain vases.
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Decorative Objects
Materials
Porcelain
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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