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Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

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 Chinese Imari Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Asian Chinese Imari (18th cent) porcelain small vases with a scalloped top and scenes of figures and flowers. (small chip to 1 top) (priced as pa...
Category

18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese White and Umber Floral Design Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
"Pair of Chinese white porcelain vases decorated with umber and pink floral motifs wrapping the bulbous forms, accented in blue, pink and yellow patterned bands around the tops and b...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Guangzhou Dog Hunt Scene Conjoined Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) Guangzhou painted export porcelain vase with a conjoined form depicting a richly colored dog hunt scene between gold-patterned bands.  
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Off-White Crackle Finish Teardrop Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese teardrop-shaped porcelain vase with an off-white crackle finish, a fluted opening and a hole in the base.    
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White, Brown, and Red Floral Design Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese white porcelain vase decorated with incised and painted brown foliage and stems growing blooming red florals, and wrapped in geometric bands of blue, pink and yellow at the ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Oriental Flower Vase, Decorative, Ceramic, Butterflies, 20th Century
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an oriental flower vase, a decorative ceramic piece featuring butterflies dating to the 20th century. Of Classic form with broad shoulder In good condition throughout, fr...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Ceramic

Pair of Quing Dynasty Silver Chinese Vases
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Quing dynasty silver Chinese vases, 1800s.
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Silver

Chinese White and Multicolor Decoration Porcelain Watermelon Jar
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) low, rounded porcelain vase, known as a watermelon jar, incised and painted with an array of decorations including floral arrangements in urns, bells, small...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White Porcelain Peacock and Floral Design Fluted Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese white porcelain fluted vase with a tall, cylindrical form decorated in large scale dark blue leaves outlined in gold, amid green, yellow a...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Blue and Orange Fish Design Porcelain Sleeve Vases
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of antique Chinese (mid 20th century) sleeve-shaped porcelain vases decorated with orange fish swimming around blue backgrounds, inspired by patterns ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of 20th Century Yongzheng style Chinese Porcelain Vases in High Gloss
Located in Essex, MA
Pair of Yongzheng style Chinese porcelain vases in a high gloss finish in the Gu shape. The vases are decorated with deer, flowers, and animal motifs. Lovely shades of aqua, turquois...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White and Pink Cherry Blossom Tree Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese white porcelain urn decorated with dark pink cherry blossom branches growing up its form, and accented with white foo dog doorknocker ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Beige Carved Floral Pattern Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese beige porcelain vase crafted in the style of the Song Dynasty with a thin fluted neck leading to a bulbous bottom decorated in an incised floral pattern.     
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Dark Blue and White Lidded Porcelain Watermelon Jar
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese small porcelain watermelon jar with a dark blue background surrounding a white window pattern and turned wooden lid.   
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain, Wood

Pair of Chinese White Porcelain Gall Bladder Vases
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of antique Chinese (Mid 20th Century) white porcelain gall bladder form vases, named for their resemblance to the shape of the organ, with bulbous bottoms and thin, delicate nec...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese High-Gloss Black Lidded Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
4 Chinese black porcelain vases with high-gloss finishes and finial-topped lids (priced each).        
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Mustard Colored and Tonal Patterned Meiping Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese, mustard-colored porcelain Meiping form vase carved in raised, tonal florals, with patterned bands around the top and base. Crackling in glaze.
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Large Pair Canton Enamel Vases, circa 1900
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very impressive pair of late 19th century Chinese Canton enamel vases, each with wonderful pastel colours, with a powder blue ground exotic flora...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Enamel

Pair of Chinese hand painted blue and white vases, Circa 1930
Located in Central England, GB
Pair of Chinese Hand Painted Blue and White Vases, Circa 1930 An impressive and unusual pair of Chinese porcelain vases made to a traditional shape with a raised foot and bulbous shaped body narrowing to a flared neck. The vases have four panels of different decoration separated by three pairs of circular raised mouldings which run around their circumference. The blue and white hand painted decoration has been very well done. Around the neck there is a continuous painted leaf boarder, below the two central panels have a trailing leaf and flower design and around the lower section there is a water and...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Getty Collection / Pair of Chinese Iron-Red and Gilt ''Faux Bois'' Jardineres
Located in Dallas, TX
a pair of Chinese iron-red and gilt ''faux bois'' jardineres molded in the shape of a wooden bucket with scattered floral sprays, single hole for drainage, QING DYNASTY, China. 19th ...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of 19th Century Chinese Crackelware Vases / Lamps
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality pair of late 19th century Chinese crackleware vases / lamps. Each with oriental style ormolu mounts to the top and bottom. Cla...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Ormolu

Fine Pair of Chinese Porcelain Bottle Shaped Vases, Daoguang period (1821-1850)
Located in New York, NY
A fine pair of Chinese porcelain bottle-shaped vases, painted in the Islamic style, Daoguang period (1821-1850). Each vase finely handpainted in Henn...
Category

Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

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 Vases and Vessels

Materials

Pottery

Pair of Yellow Pear Shaped Ceramic Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Antique Chinese (early 20th Century) yellow, pear-shaped porcelain vases with crackled finishes, gold rims, and teal interiors (mark on bottom, see photos) (PRICED AS PAIR). ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese White and Floral Patterned Porcelain Mallet Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) white vases with mallet forms decorated in raised designs of floral arrangements in wicker baskets (mark on bottom, see photos) (PRICED AS...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

EARLY 20TH CENTURY HAND CARVED SOAP STONE VASE WiTH FLORAL SCENE
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for auction this lovely early 20th-century Chinese hand-carved soapstone vase. This is a unique item of a Chinese hand carved vase...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Soapstone

Pr Faux Swedish Porphyry Ceramic Covered Vases w/ Sea Creatures Design in Relief
Located in New York, NY
A pair of large and extremely decorative Chinese export faux Swedish Porphyry ceramic covered vases with various sea creature designs in high relief. These are truly a gorgeous pair ...
Category

1920s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Ceramic

Pair of 1930s Vintage Bronze Jug Vase Urns with Little Cherub Angles Nice Find
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely original pair of 1930s bronze jug vases with cherubs A good looking and well made pair, the Cherubs have t...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Bronze

Large 19th Century Rose Medallion Vase or Lamp, Ormolu Mounted
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very impressive 19th century Chinese rose medallion / canton vase / lamp, having wonderful gilded ormolu scrolling foliate Rococo style mounts with putti seated on either side. The...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Ormolu

Large Pair of 19th Chinese Yellow and Green Ground Vases/ lamps
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A large, good quality pair of 19th century Chinese green and yellow ground vases, each with classical motif decoration, scrolling flowers, leaves an...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Brown and Pink Rope Design Trim Handled Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese handled vase with a pale pink base and a burnished tan body showing highs and lows in the finish, wrapped in two ribboned r...
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Dark Purple Qing Dynasty Flambé Vase
Located in London, GB
A baluster form vase with rich Flambé glaze. This rich, glossy vase is of good proportion and excellent quality. The saturated flambé glaze was first ...
Category

1880s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Ceramic

19th Century Famille Rose Beaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very finely detailed large Chinese beaker with flower and bird motif. No cracks, breaks or repairs.
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain, Paint

19th Century Chinese Famille Rose Crackleware Vase / Lamp
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very impressive and decorative 19th Century Chinese Famille Rose crackelware vase / lamp. Having classical motif bronzed decoration, leaf and berry handles. Hand painted scenes dep...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Chinese Blanc de Chene Lidded Vase
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A beautiful early 19th century Chinese Blan de Chene lidded vase with mythical dragons in re-leaf. Having wonderful Rococo influenced gilded ormolu mounts.
Category

Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Ormolu

"Massage" Large White Porcelain Vase by Luce Raggi, Italy / China Contemporary
Located in London, GB
Luce Raggi, Massage (food porn), 2017 glazed porcelain 65 x 25 cm Hand-painted vase representing police men, seductive women and amused saints, all dedicated to their passion fo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Vases and Vessels

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Export vases and vessels for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Chinese Export vases and vessels 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 vases and vessels 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 vases and vessels 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 vases and vessels, popular names associated with this style include Mottahedeh, Ben Owen III, CANTON FAMILLE ROSE, and Capo Di Monte. 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 vases and vessels 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 $1,497.

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