The last imperial dynasty from 1644 to 1912 was a time of change in China, beginning with the invasion by Manchurian forces that ended the Ming dynasty and established the Shunzhi Emperor. The expansion of exportation and trade that had bolstered the arts during the Ming era continued, as Qing dynasty furniture involved the same attention to craftsmanship with expert construction techniques in hardwood pieces that were assembled with mortise and tenon joints rather than nails or glue. Together, these eras comprise a golden age of Chinese furniture design.
Ming-style furniture is simple and elegant with clean lines. Chairs of the period and other Ming furniture made an impression on Scandinavian modernist Hans Wegner and his streamlined seating, for example. Whereas Qing-style furniture is elaborate, with an increasing influence from the West leading to lavish carving inspired by the European Baroque and Rococo styles. And while many of the forms that define examples of the latter are common within classical Chinese furniture, such as curving and folding chairs as well as large screens, Qing designs are laden with ornamentation. Frequently, the carved motifs and inlaid designs in mother-of-pearl were auspicious, such as peonies for wealth or dragons for luck. Bats were symbols of happiness in the design of Qing furniture, with one of the characters in the word for bat, bianfu, being a homophone for fu, or “fortune.”
While several types of wood were used in the construction of Qing beds, tables, storage pieces and seating, today’s collectors know that the most prized were the rare rosewoods zitan and huanghuali. They were both sourced from Hainan, China’s largest island, and are marked by a rich luster that occurs naturally, without the application of lacquer or other decorative materials. Many of the most popular woods were imported from southeast Asia, adding to their value. Red sandalwood was also sought after for its durability and connection with Chinese medicine, with some chairs being made for health benefits.
Find a collection of antique Qing tea tables, stools, benches, decorative objects and more furniture on 1stDibs.
Antique Chinese Porcelain Tea Cup & Saucer Imari Qing Period, 18th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Lovely set from the qing period. Additional information: Primary Material: Porcelain & Pottery Region of Origin: China Period: 18th century China Dynasty Period: Qing (1661 – 1912) Japanese Style...
Porcelain
Vietnamese Earthenware Dish Charger Flowers Motiff Swatow Style, 17th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Large and very nice Blue and White Charger/Dish from the Jiajing Period This type of dish, with undecorated sides and flowing, somewhat 'fatty' glaze and greyish blue colour characte...
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Porcelain Mandarin Rose Spoon Canton, China, 19th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A lovely 19th century Spoon Cantonese mandarin. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Decoration Type / Colour: Polychrome Region of Origin: China Period: 19th centu...
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Porcelain Mandarin Rose Spoon Canton, China, 19th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A lovely 19th century Spoon Cantonese mandarin. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Decoration Type / Colour: Mandarin, Polychrome, SE Asia (Straits/Bencharong/Etc...
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Porcelain Famille Rose Spoon Canton, China, 19th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A lovely 19th century Spoon famille rose. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Decoration Type / Colour: Famille Rose Region of Origin: China Period: 19th century C...
Porcelain
$7,040Sale Price|20% Off
Chinese Export Porcelain Fitzhugh Pattern Tureen, Cover and Underplate
Located in New York, NY
Chinese export porcelain Fitzhugh pattern tureen, cover and underplate, 18th century. Very Unusual and rare pattern, beautifully hand painted in green enamels and 24-karat gold, havi...
Gold Leaf
Antique Chinese Porcelain Cantonese Serving Plate Figures Fish, 19th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Nice and Beautifully formed Cantonese serving dish with lots of highly detailed figures, flowers and fishes. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Region of Origin: ...
Porcelain
Set of 5 Antique Qianlong Period Chinese Porcelain Floral Tea Bowls with Dish
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Antique Chinese Qianlong period set of cups and saucers. Fine potting and handpainting. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Decoration Type / Colour: Blue & White ...
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Porcelain Qianlong Putti Decorated Teapot Rose, Ca 1740
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated teapot. Qianlong period. Great decoration in Famille Rose / Iron red. Very nice colors. With a highly unusual figural decoration in iron red of two figures i...
Porcelain
Antique Porcelain Lid Blue and White Chinese Landscape Qing Period
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Nicely made Lid from a teapot in Blue and White palette. Landscape scene. Qing period. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Region of Origin: China Period: 19th cen...
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Porcelain Blue and White Floral Sauceboat, 18th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated Sauceboat with super decoration Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Region of Origin: China Period: 18th century China Dynasty Period: Qing...
Porcelain
Tea Set 18C Chinese porcelain Dish CORNELIS PRONK 'Dame Au Parasol' Pattern
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A Chinese Export Porcelain saucer dish and Cup after the ‘Dame Au Parasol’ design by Cornelis Pronk (1691 – 1759) commissioned by the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or V.O.C.) in 1737. Cornelis Pronk (1691-1759) was an accomplished painter and draftsman who was commissioned by the VOC in 1714 to provide designs for porcelain manufactured and painted in China. Decorated in underglaze-blue with ‘La Dame au Parasol...
Porcelain
Very nicely painted dish with Cuckoo in the house Period: Kangxi-Yongzheng Coun
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Very nicely painted dish with Cuckoo in the house Period: Kangxi-Yongzheng Country of origin: China The lower half of the design is well known in Holland as the “cuckoo in the hou...
Porcelain
Pair of Large Canton Style Famille Jaune Porcelain Vases
Located in London, GB
A pair of large Canton style famille jaune porcelain vases Chinese, Late 19th Century Height 120cm, diameter 42cm These large and impressi...
Porcelain
Chinese Plank Top Display Table, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This low display table exemplifies Qing-dynasty refinement with simplicity of form and minimal ornamentation. Crafted of walnut with mortise-and-tenon joinery, the 19th-century pedes...
Walnut
Chinese Export Qing Qianlong Famille Rose Medallion Porcelain Bowl
Located in Long Island City, NY
This finely decorated Qing-period rose medallion or rose mandarin bowl is beautifully hand-painted with four vignettes depicting courtly scenes.
Porcelain
18th Century Delftware Bottle, Hand-Painted Earthenware from England
Located in Basildon, GB
18th Century Blue and White Delftware Bottle, English and probably from the Lambeth pottery in London, tin glazed earthenware with a hand painted oriental scenes. Height 9" inches (2...
Earthenware
Chinese Export Famille Rose Porcelain Tableware, 4
Located in Astoria, NY
Collection of Four Chinese Export Famille Rose Porcelain Tableware Pieces, comprising: a ewer with hand-painted vignettes of figural interior scenes, a bowl with hand-enameled floral...
Enamel
Antique Chinese Export Silver Fruit Dish by Luen Hing, Circa 1880
By Luen Hing
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive, large antique Chinese Export Silver fruit dish; part of our Chinese / Asian silverware collection. This exceptional antique Chinese Export Silver (CES) fruit dish has a circular rounded form onto three plain swept bracket style feet. The sides of this antique dish are ornamented with eight pierced decorated panels. Each panel is embellished with applied decoration depicting individual scenes, such as a bird sitting in a cherry blossom tree, a crane flying over iris flowers, and a chrysanthemum amidst foliage. The rim of this impressive dish is encompassed with an applied incurved shaped border. The well of this large antique silver dish...
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century White Porcelain Bowl
Located in Houston, TX
19th century white porcelain bowl from the Qing Dynasty Era in China. Rust spots and firing imperfections support the age of the porcelains.
Clay
$617Sale Price|35% Off
Blue and white tea set c 1725, Qing dynasty, Yongzheng reign
Located in seoul, KR
The teabowl and saucer set depicts botanical elements and butterflies, motifs rich in symbolism within Chinese culture. Butterflies often represent transformation and immortality, wh...
Ceramic
Antique Chinese Porcelain Imari Kangxi Period Duck Pond Dish China, 18C
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated saucer dish with flowers and ducks. Kangxi period. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Region of Origin: China Emperor: Kangxi (1661-1722) ...
Porcelain
Chinese Eight Immortals Offering Tray, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This ornately carved offering tray would have been presented as a gift filled with popular Chinese snacks, such roasted melon seeds, dried fruit, and soybeans toasted with cinnamon, ...
Wood
$2,706 / set
Chinese Qing Dynasty Pair of Vases
Located in Dublin 8, IE
Chinese Qing Dynasty pair of baluster vases of hexagonal form, the everted scalloped rim of white ground raised over tapering neck with pair of recumbent tigers in green glaze cast i...
Porcelain
$715Sale Price / set|35% Off
Blue And White Flower Pattern Tea Set C 1725, Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Era
Located in seoul, KR
They display central floral motifs surrounded by a variety of botanical patterns including branches and blooms, indicative of classic East Asian ceramic artistry. Period : Qing Dyna...
Ceramic, Porcelain
Four Chinese Export Famille Rose Botanical Plates, Qianlong Period (1736-1795)
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A very attractive group of four 18th century Chinese export porcelain botanical plates apparently made for the French market, circa 1775. Each plate having a scalloped rim banded wit...
Porcelain
Antique Plate Anhua Fencai Porcelain Famille Rose China Qianlong, 1736-1795
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A fine antique Chinese plate, made during the Qianlong period. Flower in the rim and anhua decoration in the centre. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Region of ...
Porcelain