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.
Faience Dish and Plate by Jules Vieillard Chinese Decor France 19th Century
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Old Dish by Jules viellard for Bordeaux. This Dish is in Faience, and has been made in France,during the 19th. The plate is from another manufacturer. The colors are blue. It is signed.
Faience
Collection of 4 Chinese Export Tea Caddies, 18th Century
Located in Doylestown, PA
A collection of 4 China-export tea caddies in porcelain and faience, mid to late 18th century, museum de-accession, one retaining its original ceramic lid and another with a silver c...
Faience, Porcelain
French Faience Cache Pot, 19th Century
Located in Doylestown, PA
A white glazed French Faience “Cache Pot” with handles, circa 1870.
Faience
19th Century French Faience Floral Plate
Located in Pearland, TX
A lovely antique late 18th-century to early 19th-century French faience plate with beautiful hand painted flowers and a scalloped rim. It would look fabulous displayed on a wall or s...
Faience
19th Century Dutch Delft Faience Plate by De Klaauw, Hand-Painted
By De Klaauw
Located in Pearland, TX
A lovely antique 19th-Century Dutch Delft faience plate by the De Klaauw factory. Maker's mark on reverse. This lovely plate has a hand painted central floral motif and foliate borde...
Delft, Faience
18th Century, Chinese Export Coral and Puce Porcelain Tea Service
Located in Downingtown, PA
Chinese Export Porcelain Coral Fish Scale Tea Service, Qianlong, circa 1750 Description This attractive and rare Chinese Export porcelain tea and coffee service is a superb illustr...
Porcelain
19th Century Delft Polychrome Faience Vase
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century Delft faience knobble vase (often called a garlic-neck or knop vase). Characterized by a bulbous lower body, a prominent bulge on the upper neck and narrow flared wavy...
Faience
Nevers Faience Plate, 18th Century French, Chinoiserie Decor, 23cm
By Nevers
Located in DELFT, NL
An 18th century French faience plate from Nevers, dating to the 1790s. The plate is decorated in polychrome with a bird perched on flowering branches, rendered in a chinoiserie manne...
Earthenware, Faience, Maiolica
$975 / set
H 1 in Dm 10 in
Mid-Century French Saint Clement Barbotine Faience Oyster Plates '6' and Dish
Located in Dallas, TX
These colorful antique plates and matching serving platter were created in France circa 1920, by the Saint Clement factory. The hand painted Majolica service features 6 round plates and one charger, all having oyster shaped and lemon wedge motifs. Every piece is marked underfoot "St Clement France". The set is in excellent condition with rich colors in the green and yellow palette. The faience factory of Saint-Clement, 12 kms from Lunéville, was established in 1758 by Jacques Chambrette, who already owned another one in Lunéville. With this second factory he aimed at the higher segment of the market with prestigious objects. The factory received because of this a label as Royal Suplier for Marie-Antoinette's Trianon. After Jacques died in 1758, his son Gabriel became the new owner. Between 1759 and 1763 the factory was managed by Charles Loyal, Jacques Chambrette's son-in-law, Paul Louis Cyfflé and the architect Richard Mique, who owned half the factory in 1786. In the 18th century Saint-Clément produced domestic objects of ordinary earthenware, luxurious objects and decorative objects of fine earthenware (so-called "terre de pipe"). Between the first quarter of the 19th century and 1892 both current utensils of ordinary earthenware and fine earthenware are produced and decorative objects of grand and petit feu (Emile Gallé). In the second half of the 19th century the factory reproduced Louis XIV objects, among them objects with very unnatural forms, where they attempted to imitate the multicolored decorations of Strasbourg faience...
Faience, Majolica
Important Swedish 18th Century Faience Tea Table
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
A rare faience topped Rörstrand tea table. The dished, moulded and shaped rectangular top decorated with a harbour szene painted in shades of grey (grisaille painting), on an elegant...
Faience, Mahogany
19th Century French Porquier Beau Quimper Faience Platter
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th Century French Porquier Beau Quimper faience decorative oblong oval platter, hand painted with men playing pètanque. D'apres Deyrolle. Wide ligh...
Faience
19th Century French Faience Decorative Plate
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century French faience charger or platter with typical hand painted burgundy floral decoration from St Clement in the East of France. Minor glaze loss. Old brass plate hanger...
Faience
19th Century French Faience Shaving Bowl
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century French faience shaving bowl, hand-painted with blue flowers. Hairline crack.
Faience
$588
H 1.19 in Dm 9.85 in
Antique Dutch Delft -Blue and White 'Tea Tree' plate -18th century, Witte Starre
By Delft
Located in DELFT, NL
Dutch Delft dish by Cornelis Brouwer of the De Witte Starre workshop, painted in cobalt blue monochrome enamel with the “Theeboom” or “Tea Plant” pattern. The central decoration feat...
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Sold
H 3.75 in W 18.51 in D 18.51 in
Hand-Painted Blue and White Ceramic Charger from the Netherlands, 1970
Located in Southampton, GB
A large scale, hand painted and glazed, blue and white Ceramic Charger. This piece would look great hung on a wall or as a table centre piece. We can also quote for a stand to be mad...
Ceramic
Large Glazed Tang-Style Terracotta Ewer
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a stunning large Chinese glazed terracotta dragon-form ewer. The Double Dragons are cast in fine detail. The ewer derives its inspiration fro...
Terracotta
Pair of Chinese Faience Candlesticks
Located in Chireno, TX
Pair of Chinese faience candlesticks dating to the 19th century. Nice, large size with naive blue color decoration. Used for burning tallow (mutton fat) candles.
Faience
Chinese Flower Basket / Blue and White Delft Plates / Group of Seven
Located in Dallas, TX
Group of seven blue and white delft plates with Chinese flower basket decoaration, both 18th and 19th century, marked on reverse VB and P. Si...
Porcelain
Sold
H 6.5 in W 8 in D 7 in
Exquisite Chinese Delft Tea Pot 19th Century with Temple Guardian Lions Motif
Located in New York, NY
During the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company imported millions of pieces of Chinese porcelain to the Netherlands in order to meet a seemingly insatiable demand among the aristocratic class. Following the death of the Chinese emperor Wanli in 1620, the supply of Chinese porcelain to Europe was cut off and Dutch potters started to imitate it. This gorgeous vase is believed to be among those reproductions from the 18th or 19th century. It is inscribed on the bottom "Qing Dynasty Kangxi" in Mandarin. Kangxi corresponds to the name of the emperor who ruled China between 1654-1722 A.D. ostensibly dating the piece to that time period. This teapot is believed to have been realized in the centuries following, however. It is nonetheless a stunning decorative object, with its sapphire blue renderings of traditional Chinese motifs set against a porcelain white background. It also represents a rare and remarkable piece of Delft history, symbolizing a centuries old dialogue between East and West. The piece is decorated with stylized wave and cloud motifs, and traditional Chinese temple guardian lions...
Wrought Iron
Pair of Chinese dignitaries in polychrome faience, 1900 period
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of sculptures representing Chinese dignitaries in traditional costume relized in polychrome faience. One of them is stamped twice beneath, one...
Faience
Pair of Dutch Delft Blue and White Bottle Vases
Located in Katonah, NY
A pair of Dutch Delft blue and white bottle vases decorated in cobalt blue with scenes of peacocks and long tailed birds among peonies. Abov...
Delft