Chinese Export Lighting
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 Chinese Porcelain Ginger Jar Lamps with Iron Red Decoration
Located in San Francisco, CA
each hand painted ginger jar with domed lid above a bulbous tapering body raised on a stained wooden base; painted with various figures in a landscape setting divided by cloud scroll...
Category
Early 1900s Asian Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
$3,880 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Porcelain Ginger Jar Form Floral / Botanical Table Lamps Att. Chelsea House-Pair
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a lovely pair of porcelain ginger jar form hand painted table lamps attributed to Chelsea House. The vase portion is 12 inches in height. They rest on gilt Asian footed...
Category
Late 20th Century American Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Giltwood
$954 Sale Price / set
36% Off
Chinese blue and white porcelain vase / lamp, C19th
Located in Brighton, Sussex
This exquisite late 19th-century Chinese blue and white vase lamp showcases traditional craftsmanship with intricate hand-painted designs. The vase features delicate motifs of floral...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Blanc De Chine Vases Mounted as Table Lamps
Located in Morristown, NJ
20th c., a nice quality pair of blanc de chine vases mounted as table lamps. These are decorated with garden florals and figures in low relief. Decorative elements also include lion ...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal
20th Century Tall Chinese Export Chinoiserie Table Lamp / Hand-Painted Details
Located in Tarry Town, NY
This impressive 20th-century Chinese export table lamp features a beautifully hand-painted Chinoiserie scene, showcasing fine craftsmanship and attention to detail. The lamp’s striki...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Pair of Mid-20th Century Chinese Porcelain Jar Table Lamps
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Pair of Mid-20th century porcelain jar table lamps, Chinese. Handsome teal blue, ginger jar form. Newly remounted & electrified. Very good quality.
18.75" h. to top of socket. approx...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
A Pair of Chinese Famille Verte Porcelain Covered Ginger Jars Mounted as Lamps
Located in New York, NY
A Fabulous Pair of Chinese Famille Verte Porcelain Covered Ginger Jars Mounted as Lamps. Each is of baluster form, with a domed lid and wide, slightly everted rim, mounted as table ...
Category
1850s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Pair Chinese Blue and White Crackle Ware Lamps, 19th Century
Located in Brighton, Sussex
Pair late 19th century Chinese blue and white crackle ware vases, each with hand painted scenes of Doves sitting among flowers and foliage set b...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Gilt Brass Mounted Celadon Porcelain Lamp
Located in Bradenton, FL
Mid 20th Century Chinese Gilt Brass Mounted Celadon porcelain lamp with molded elephant ring handles and matching finial. Harp and finial included. Molded blue floral motif throughou...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Antique Chinese Alum Red Taishi Shaoshi Design Porcelain Vase Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese table lamp made from a 19th century porcelain vase mounted with wood and brass hardware as a lamp, with an alum red Taishi S...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Large Chinese Blue Grey Pottery Table Lamps
Located in Sheffield, MA
Highly decorative over-size stunning blue and white Asian style ginger jar lamp featuring a blue and white body with Chinese characters and decorative fish details. Including blue Be...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
19th Century Chinese Export Ginger Jar Lamp
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Covered ginger jar converted to lamp. Overall ginger jar diameter is 10.5" wide at its widest point. The custom parchment shade is 19" in diameter and 9" high. Dore bronze mounts are...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Chinese Bronze Table Lamps in the Style of James Mont
By James Mont
Located in New York, NY
Impressive pair of Chinese bronze table lamps in the style of influential 20th Century American furniture designer James Mont. The lamps, crafted in oil rubbed bronze, resemble trad...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Antique Chinese Porcelain Blue And White Ginger Jar As Lamp
Located in Norwood, NJ
Antique blue and white on celadon Chinese porcelain ginger jar converted as a lamp. Hand painted double happiness motif with floral decoration. Mounted on shaped rosewood base.
16" t...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Wood
Vintage Chinese White Porcelain Jar Table Lamp
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Chinese table lamp made from a white porcelain urn painted with a floral red roses design around mounted on a brown wooden base and fi...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Export Style Armorial Porcelain Lamps, Pr
Located in Astoria, NY
Pair of Chinese Export Style Armorial Porcelain Two Handled Vases Mounted as Table Lamps, 20th century, each decorated with polychrome flowers and a central coat of arms, depicting a...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
19th Century Chinese Export Urn Lamp
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Originally a covered Chinese jar converted to lamp with very fine French dore bronze mounts. Beautiful bronze finial. Custom parchment shade dimension is 15" in diameter x 9.5" high.
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Stunning Pair of Early 19th Century Chinese Export Bronze Mounted Lamps
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A remarkable pair of early 19th century hand painted Rose Mandarin Chinese Export porcelain vases now as lamps. The vases are pre-1850 and lamped i...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Chinese Gilt Bronze Mounted Rose Quartz Lamp, circa 1890
Located in Norwood, NJ
19th century antique Chinese hand-carved and polished translucent rose quartz carving of a standing Guanyin with phoenix bird, mounted on a open work bronze plinth. Mounted as a lamp...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Antique Chinese Alum Red Taishi Shaoshi Design Porcelain Vase Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese table lamp made from a porcelain vase mounted with wood and brass hardware as a lamp, with an alum red Taishi Shaoshi lion d...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Stunning Pair of 19th Century Chinese Blue & White Table Lamps
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Handsome large pair of slightly different blue and white Chinese vase shaped antique table lamps having lovely decoration and wooden bases. Vases are 18.25 h
One lamp is 32.5 h; the...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
19th Century Chinese Porcelain Lamp
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautifully painted 19th Century Chinese vessel converted to lamp. Wooden base. Custom parchment shade is 10" high x 16" wide.
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Enamel
Large Pair of Antique Rose Medallion / Cantonese Vases / Lamps
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality pair of bulbous shaped 19th century Chinese rose medallion/ vases / lamps.
Having wonderful bold colours, the scenes depicting classical interior scenes, gilded ...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of 19th Century Rose Medallion Ormolu Mounted Vases / Lamps
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality pair of Chinese Cantonese / rose medallion bellied vases / lamps. Each with wonderful gilded ormolu scrolling foliate mounts top and bottom. ...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Wucai Porcelain Vase Table Lamp
Located in Germantown, MD
A Chinese Wucai Porcelain Vase Lamp with ebonized base.
Measures 6" in width, 6" in depth and 17" in height to the top of the bulb socket
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass, Enamel
Pair Japanese 19th c. Ceramic Martaban Jar Lamps, Billy Haines Attributed
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is an unusual pair of lamps that have been created with antique 19th century Japanese storage jars and are attributed to Billy Haines. The ru...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Chinese White Figurative Scene Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) table lamp made from a white porcelain urn painted with a scene of children playing in orange, pink, and red, mounted on a brown wooden base and...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
Pair of Chinese Canton / Rose Medallion Vases / Lamps, 19th Century
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality pair of 19th century Chinese rose medallion vases, each with wonderful bold pinks, blues and green coloring, exotic bird handles on either side, lizards circling ...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Gilt Bronze Mounted Rose Quartz Lamp, circa 1890
Located in Norwood, NJ
19th century antique Chinese hand-carved and polished translucent rose quartz carving of a standing Guanyin with phoenix bird, mounted on a carved green quartz plinth. Mounted as a l...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Quartz, Bronze
Chinese Porcelain Octagonal Multi-Colored Floral and Vase Motif Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese porcelain table lamp comprised of a porcelain vase with eight multi-colored sides featuring floral and vase motifs with raised decorative pomegranates around the neck, mounte...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Chinese Porcelain Bird Motif Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style (20th Century) yellow and turquoise porcelain table lamp with bird design.
Condition: (Ships without a shade)
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
A fine pair of 19th century Rose Medallion and gilt bronze mounted lamps
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine 19th century pair of Rose Medallion porcelain lamps with gilt bronze bases.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Pair Of Vintage Chinese Porcelain Celadon Vases As Lamps
Located in Norwood, NJ
Custom lamps made from vintage Chinese celadon vases. Two elephant handles with rings. Octagonal shape with ornamented panels.. All patinated brass hardware and mounted on wooden bas...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Wood
Chinese Export Prunus Vase Lamp, circa 1900
Located in Lucenec, SK
A large Chinese blue and white porcelain prunus vase lamp, on wood base. No hairline, no restoration. The height of the vase is about 25cm. Traces of usage...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
$829 Sale Price
44% Off
Pair Chinese Famille Rose Porcelain and Patinated Bronze Table Lamps
Located in New York, NY
Pair of antique (early 20th century) table lamps crafted from Chinese porcelain urns in the Famille Rose style
Pair of Chinese famillie rose table lamps. Al...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Chinese Rose Medallion Lamps
Located in Bradenton, FL
Pair of 19th century Chinese Rose Medallion Lamps. Beautiful painted florals, butterflies and birds on sides with Chinese figures in blue, red, gre...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Wood
$1,875 / set
Large Antique Oriental Bronze Table Lamp
Located in London, GB
An impressive and beautifully made large antique oriental bronze table lamp, made in the far East and dating from around the 1930’s.
This is of superb quality, it is large and very ...
Category
1930s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Antique Hand Painted Chinese Porcelain Lamp with Gilt Metal Mounts
Located in Pittsburgh, PA
This handsome 19th Century Chinese hand painted porcelain lidded jar was mounted as a lamp in the early 20th Century. It is beautifully painted and in excellent condition.
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Blue And White Porcelain Vase As Lamp
Located in Norwood, NJ
Chinese 19th century porcelain vase converted as a lamp. Hand painted with a bird amongst a fruit tree with branches and leaves. A celadon ground and decorated with applied foo dog ...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain, Wood
Pair of Japanese Pagoda Form Porcelain Lamps
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
A Rare Pair of Japanese Pagoda Form Porcelain Lamps. Beautifully glazed in very vibrant colors with gilt accents. Lamps are mounted on square carved ha...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Enamel
$2,495 / set
19th Century Chinese Powder Blue Vase / Lamp
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A striking 19th century Chinese power blue vase / lamp with French gilded ormolu mounts to the top and plinth base.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ormolu
19th Century Chinese Urn Lamp
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Originally, a ginger jar converted to a lamp. Fine French dore bronze mounts. Custom parchment shade is 14" in diameter by 9.5" high. The overall body width is 9.5".
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Chinese Porcelain Reticulated Octagonal Pink and Green Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese porcelain table lamp comprised of a porcelain vase with eight reticulated sides in green with pink porcelain edges and a motif of Chinese vases filled with flowers on each si...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Lamp Table Celadon Vase with Lid Chinese Custom Shade
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
Large, vintage, Chinese, Celadon vase with cover, upcycled into table lamp with custom made linen shade, 32” high
Celadon ware has been prized for centuries for its beauty because i...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Celadon, Porcelain
Antique Chinese Blue And White Porcelain Vase As Lamp
Located in Norwood, NJ
Chinese 19th century porcelain blue and white vase converted as a lamp. Hand painted with Chinese figures in a courtyard setting with a light celadon ground and decorated with applie...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Wood
Pair of 19th Century Cloisonné Lamps
Located in WEST PALM BEACH, FL
This is a lovely pair of cloisonné turquoise lamps painted overall with colorful figures and images, situated on pierced rosewood bases, 19th century.
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal
$3,200 / set
Early 20th Century Decalcomania Vase Lamp
Located in Dublin 8, IE
Early 20th Century large decalcomania vase lamp of baluster form depicting oriental figures, birds, butterflies and foliate detail set against g...
Category
Early 20th Century Irish Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
Pair of Chinese Blue Tole Palm Tree and Man Table Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Chinese light blue tole table lamps depicting a man holding a fan sitting in the shade of a palm tree. (PRICED AS Pair)(Companion lamps: NWL2012)
On...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
Pair of Vintage Chinese Red and Gold Hand-Painted Tole Ginger Jar Table Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Vintage Chinese tole table lamps made from lidded ginger jars mounted with brass hardware, hand painted with an outdoor garden / genre scene in gold, white, and black, agains...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Early 20th Century Chinese Carved Green Jadeite Quartz Lamp
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A relatively large Chinese carved stone lamp mounted on a stepped brass and a carved wood base. The carved stone is often referred to as Jadeite or Quartz but is in fact from the flu...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Quartz
A 19 Century Nanking Porcelain Vase on an Ormolu base turned into a Lamp
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A large late 19 Century Qing Era Chinese Nanking Porcelain Vase in famille verte crackle glaze decorated with intricate warrior and landscape scenes The vase would have been exported to France from Nanking China...
Category
Late 19th Century Asian Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
$1,280 Sale Price
20% Off
Pair Of Samson Porcelain Table Lamps
Located in Essex, MA
Baluster form finely painted in the Chinese style. Bronze bases. Two light sockets.
From the A.B Dick Estate. Bellevue Avenue, Newport. Converted from vases to lamps.
Category
1750s French Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
$6,800 / set
Chinese Export Adjustable Height Floor Lamp
Located in Tarrytown, NY
Chinese export floor lamp with adjustable height. The height can be adjusted up to 76".
Category
1970s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of Vintage Chinese Gold and Green Tole Palm Tree Table Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Vintage Chinese tole table lamps in the shape of palm trees, painted with golden leaves and green trunks, resting on octagonal bases and mounted with brass hardware. (PRICED ...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Early 19th Century Chinese Celadon vase/lamp
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality early 19th Century Chinese Celedon porcelain vase / lamp. Having a wonderful bellied form with classical embossed motif decoration around, shell like handles to e...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ormolu
Chinese Porcelain Hand Painted Porcelain Lamp
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A hand painted Chinese porcelain lamps with an imperial yellow background. The white porcelain with cartouches of aristocratic women in a floral background with intricately detailed ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Pair of Antique Chinese Orange and Gold Floral Round Porcelain Table Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) round table lamps made from orange, luster porcelain vases with gold floral designs, mounted on brown wooden bases with patinated brass h...
Category
Early 19th Century Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
LOVELY ANTiQUE STYLE CHINESE PORCELAIN LARGE TABLE LAMP SUPER DECORATIVE FINISH
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely ex-display Chinese Porcelain table lamp with lovely original finish
Please note the delivery f...
Category
20th Century Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese White Floral Patterned Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese white ceramic table lamp made from a bulbous vase decorated with colorful florals, mounted on a wooden base and fitted with brass hardwa...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
Pair of Chinese Export Porcelain Lamp Bases
Located in Dallas, TX
A pair of Chinese Export porcelain lamp bases mounted in French Louis XVI style bronze dore.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Chinese Export lighting for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Chinese Export lighting 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 lighting created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, asian art and furniture, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, porcelain and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Chinese Export lighting 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 lighting, popular names associated with this style include The Marbro Lamp Company, CANTON FAMILLE ROSE, Capodimonte, and Chapman Manufacturing Company. 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 lighting differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $200 and tops out at $24,680 while the average work can sell for $2,406.
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