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
Chinese White Porcelain Ginger Jar Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style (19th Century) white porcelain ginger jar form lamp with foliate & bird details mounted on a round wood base.
Ships wi...
Category
19th Century Unknown Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Wood
Sang De Boeuf, Ormolu Mounted Vase, by Rookwood 1936, Now as a Lamp, Dark Glaze
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Sang de Boeuf, Ormolu Mounted Vase, by Rookwood Pottery 1936, now as a Lamp, Light Glaze
Beautiful glazed vase raised on four ormolu elegant paw feet, attributed to E.F. Caldwell (O...
Category
1930s American Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ormolu
Pair of Chinese Off-White Floral and Bamboo Design Table Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Chinese porcelain table lamps made from off-white, urn-shaped vases decorated with a winding natural scene of flowers and bamboo growing from behind a decorative gate mounted...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
Pair of Chinese Modern Brass Lamps
Located in Houston, TX
Pair of Chinese Modern Brass Lamps.
A great pair of well detailed Chinese modern or Asian modern brass table lamps This versatile pair of Hollywood ...
Category
1940s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
19th Century Famille Noire Porcelain Vase Lamp
Located in London, GB
A late 19th century famille noire porcelain vase, decorated with butterflies and abundant fruit trees in polychrome glazes. Now mounted as a table lamp with hand-turned giltwood base...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain
Vintage Pair of Chinese Abacus Lamps
By ABCO
Located in San Francisco, CA
Wonderful pair of mid century Chinese Abacus Lamps made in Honk Kong.
Category
1970s Hong Kong Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Mirror Black Porcelain Jar Lamp
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A stunning antique Chinese porcelain 19th century jar, as a lamp. The porcelain jar is in a Mirror black glaze, which is a very dark The Lamp measures 27 inches to the top of the sha...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Chinoiserie Style Figural Pottery Attendant Lamp
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Chinoiserie Style Figural Pottery Attendant Lamp
1960s
Height: 26 in Width: 8 in Depth: 8 in
Revel in the exotic allure of this Chinoiserie style figu...
Category
20th Century Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Pottery, Hardwood
Pair 19th Century Chinese Rose Medallion Vases / Lamps
Located in Brighton, Sussex
Pair 19th century Chinese Rose medallion / Cantonese spill vases, each with the classical Green ground, wonderful floral and foliate decorati...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
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 19th Century Chinese Famille Rose Vase or Lamp
Located in Brighton, Sussex
An impressive 19th century Chinese Famille rose vase or lamp. Having beautifully painted panels depicting mortals in a temple and gardens, set in a floral surrounds and having gilded...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ormolu
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
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
Pair Rose Medallion vases / lamps, 19th Century.
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality pair of 19th Century Chinese Canton / Rose medallion vases / lamps. Each with wonderful bold classical greens and pinks, pairs of gilded Foo dog handles. The grou...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
A Set of Four Hexagonal Blue & White Chinese Ginger Jar Form Lamps
Located in San Francisco, CA
each ginger jar decorated with individuals at varied pursuits with dragons, clouds, and floral vines
Category
1980s Asian Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
Striking Chinese Cinnabar Table Lamp with Foo Dog on Lid
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Striking red carved wood Chinese cinnabar table lamp having a sculptural round lidded urn like shape with handles and detailed foo dog finial as well as...
Category
1950s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Wood
19th Century Chinese Famille Rose lamp.
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality late 19th Century Chinese Famille Rose export porcelain vase / lamp.
Having wonderful scrolling foliate and motif decoration, the inset hand painted panels depicting a vases of flowers, tables and chairs...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Samson Chinese Style Porcelain Table Lamps
Located in Essex, MA
Each baluster form ginger jars with powder blue ground with famille verte vignettes. Bronze bases. Single light with shades. A former Bunny Williams installation.
Category
1870s French 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
Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Bronze Vase 19th Century Mounted as a Table Lamp
Located in Miami, FL
The cloisonné enamel bronze vase is mounted in table lamp.
The quality of the piece is very interesting as an object by itself.
The shape is unu...
Category
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Early 20th Century Cast Bronze Floor Lamp with Neolithic Chinese Motif
Located in San Francisco, CA
Early 20th century cast bronze floor lamp with neolithic Chinese motif
13" diameter at the base x 74" high
The wiring needs to be updated (please see images)
This is truly an exception cast bronze lamp. The Chinese motifs around the base also have a strong resemblance to Mayan motifs...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Asian Pictorial Blue and White, With 8 Figures, Table Lamp
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
An Asian pictorial blue and white table lamp, the lamp is done in a typical blue on white background, there are eight different figures around the baluster shaped base, there are bat...
Category
Early 20th Century Central Asian Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Famille Noare style vase lamp. C19th
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality Samson porcelain Famille Verte style lidded vase / lamp. Having classical oriental scenes, hand-painted. Gilded scrolling highlighted decoration to the black grou...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
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
Antique Chinese Blue & White Rooster & Florals 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 blue roster and floral design aga...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Chinese Celadon Porcelain Table Lamp on a Teak Base
Located in Queens, NY
"Asian Chinese style (19th Century) celadon porcelain lamp with blue figural scene and mounted on a round teak base and filigree cover.
Ships without a shade"
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Teak
Chinese Teal Cylindrical Patterned Cloisonne Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese cylindrical table lamp made from a teal and gold-patterned cloisonne vase painted with floral arrangements and fruit bowls with a brown woode...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass, Enamel
Vintage Mid-Century Chinese Wooden Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Vintage Mid-Century Chinese style wood lamp with fretwork design carving.
Ships without a shade
Category
20th Century Unknown Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Wood
Chinese Yellow Barrel Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese porcelain table lamp in a pale yellow hue and barrel shape on a wooden base with brass hardware. (Available in gray: NWL2002)
Ships without a shade."
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
Asian Motif Etched Brass Free Standing Floor Lamp, circa 1920
Located in San Francisco, CA
Asian Motif etched brass free standing floor lamp, circa 1920
Finely etched brass floor lamp
Dimensions: 17" triangular base x 69" high t...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Turquoise Ceramic Vase as Lamp
Located in New York, NY
With craquelure finish, exaggerated long neck and silvered wood base. Height to top of vase is 24".
Category
20th Century Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
Lámpara oriental
Located in VALÈNCIA, ES
Lámpara oriental Circa 1.960, realizada en cerámica esmaltada policromada, con tapa y base de madera.
Category
1960s Hong Kong Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic, Bakelite
Large Chinese Ceramic Cylindrical Table Lamps
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Large impressive and beautiful pair of vintage cylindrical Chinese table lamps having stunning decoration with birds and foliage in navy blue, burnt orange and gold against a white b...
Category
1950s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Wood, Ceramic
Associated Pair of 19th Century Chinese Porcelain Mirror Black Lamps
Located in San Francisco, CA
Associated pair of 19th century Chinese porcelain mirror black lamps, circa 1880
Baluster Classic form. Both on old hardwood bases.
Two similar age...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Hardwood, Porcelain
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
Antique Chinese Blue & White Rooster & Florals 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 blue roster and flor...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
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 Chinese Off-White Floral Porcelain Urn Table Lamps Mounted on Wood Base
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Chinese porcelain table lamps made from off-white, urn-shaped vases decorated with a winding natural scene of flowers and...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Reticulated White Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese-style white filigree porcelain table lamp with floral design and black round base.
Ships without a shade
Category
20th Century Unknown Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
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 Chinese Black and Floral Motif Table Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Chinese black ceramic table lamps made from baluster-shaped vases decorated with birds amid blooming florals in pinks, yellows, and blues, and wooden bases with brass hardwar...
Category
20th Century Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
Pair Chinese blue and white Ginger jar vases / lamps, C19th.
Located in Brighton, Sussex
An unusual pair of late 19th Century Chinese blue and white ginger jar lamps. Each with hand painted motif decoration to the gro...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Chinese Mallet-shaped Blue and White Decorated Porcelain Lamps
Located in San Francisco, CA
each with cylindrical neck above a tapering body adorned overall with lappet and scrollwork perimeter bands and chevron decoration; raised on wooden bases
Category
1970s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
Antique Chinese Orange and Metallic Bamboo Design Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) table lamp made from a round, orange, luster porcelain, lidded vase with a metallic bamboo design, mounted on a brown wooden base and fitted wit...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
20th Century Chinese Porcelain Ginger Jar Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style (20th Century) porcelain ginger jar cylindrical form lamp in red, green & yellow on a white field.
Ships without a shade
Category
20th Century Unknown Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Style Porcelain Imari Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style porcelain table lamp with Imari style floral decoration on round wood base.
Category
20th Century Unknown Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Wood
Antique Chinese Orange and White Dragon Motif Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) table lamp made from a round, luster porcelain vase with an orange and gold hexagonal patterned ground against two white cartouches depicting dr...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
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
Chinese Off-White and Figurative Scene Porcelain Urn Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) table lamp made from an off-white, urn-shaped, porcelain vase depicting a joyful scene of gift-bearing children greeting elders in a pastoral Set...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
Large Pair 19th Century Rose Medallion Vases / Lamps
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality pair of 19th century Chinese Rose medallion vases / lamps. Each with wonderful bold classical Cantonese birds, flower, butterflies in Green, white and pink, inset hand painted panels depicting exotic birds and scenes of various courtiers, scholars, women and children.
Mounted on carved gilt wood stands.
We can convert the vases to lamps...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
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 White and Floral Column Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese white porcelain table lamp made from a column-shaped vase painted with a crane alongside a blooming pink peony, a wooden base, and brass hardware.
Ships without a shade."
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
19th Century, Blanc de gene figure of Guanyin / lamp
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A Classical Chinese Blanc de gene porcelain figure of Guanyin, in the 17th century style. Mounted on a carved hardwood stand and gilded ormolu base. Also included this classical pago...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Pair Chinese Cloisonné Vases / Lamps, 19th Century
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very decorative pair of late 19th century Chinese cloisonné enamel vases / lamps. Each having wonderful turquoise ground and exotic flowers, with gilded ormolu mounts.
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Enamel, Ormolu
Early 20th Century White Porcelain Vase Lamp
Located in London, GB
An early 20th century white porcelain sleeve vase, the trumpet neck above a baluster body. Now wired as a table lamp.
Dimensions refer to height of vase and base only.
Wired an...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain
19th Century Chinese Bronze Urn as Lamp
Located in Norwood, NJ
19th century Chinese bronze urn as lamp. Decorated with florals and dragon in high relief. Surmounted by two handles depicting phoenix...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
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
Large 19th Century Chinese Rose Medallion / Canton Vase / Lamp
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality late 19th century Chinese Cantonese / rose medallion vase / lamp. Having gilded dog of faux handles and serpents, classical green ground decoration with inset painted ...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
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.