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
Table Lamp Oriental Colors 19th Century, China
Located in New York, NY
Table lamp oriental colors 19th century, China. A table lamp made during the 19th century in China. Multicolored with gilded details.
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
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 Celadon porcelain Vase / lamp, circa 1860.
Located in Brighton, Sussex
This exquisite Chinese Celadon vase from the early 19th century is remarkable for its unusual relief decoration, showcasing intricate motifs of flora and fauna. The vase is adorned w...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
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
Chinese Export Meiping Vase Mounted as a Lamp
Located in Astoria, NY
Chinese Export Elongated Meiping Porcelain Vase Mounted as a Table Lamp, with blue and white underglaze and famille rose overglaze floral decoration, atop a stepped clear acrylic bas...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Acrylic
Chinese White and Blue Gaming Scene Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese white and blue porcelain table lamp made from an urn-shaped vase depicting a group of figures around a game table under a tree,...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
19th Century, Chinese Blue and White vase / lamp. 56cm (22") high
Located in Brighton, Sussex
An impressive, good quality late 19th Century Chinese export blue and white crackleware vase / lamp. Having wonderful hand painted scenes of soldiers on horseback and running holding...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Classic Blue and White Ginger Jar Table Lamp by Chapman
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Classic blue and white ginger jar table lamp by Chapman. Lamp depicts Asian scenery and has a black base. Finial is a matte black...
Category
1990s North American Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
19th Century Famille Verte Vase Lamp Conversion on White Ground Large, Unusual
Located in Lomita, CA
The color palette, the size and the fine artwork on the surface of this late 19th century lamp make it stunning. This lamp has everything. Of circular section and baluster form with ...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Hardwood
$1,346 Sale Price
25% Off
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
Antique Chinese Orange and Gold Bouquet Design Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) table lamp made from a round, orange, luster porcelain vase with with a gold floral bouquet design, mounted on a brown wooden base and fitted wi...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
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
Ceramic, Wood
$1,650 Sale Price / set
25% Off
Brass Asian Style Table Lamp with Birds, Dragons and Bamboo Detail
Located in Toledo, OH
A beautiful brass table lamp. This lovely Asian inspired lamp features birds, bamboo and floral detail with dragon form handles. The shade is not included. The dimensions are 32.5" H...
Category
20th Century Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Chinese Export Black Ceramic Table Lamp with Floral and Bird Design
Located in Savannah, GA
Chinese Export table lamp made from a graceful vase decorated with colorful birds, dogwood branches and fruit on an orange peel surface. The hardware is brass and the vase is perched...
Category
1930s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
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 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
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
Antique Chinese Orange and Gold Crane Design Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) table lamp made from a round, orange, luster porcelain, lidded vase decorated with a gold crane design on one side an...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
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
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
Bayeux Porcelain Pair of Lamps, Canton Style, 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of Bayeux porcelain lamps on a white background with a polychromatic decoration in the Chinese Canton style porcelain. On one side, a scene with Chinese dignitaries on a cartouc...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Pair Famille rose Ginger jars / lamps
Located in Brighton, Sussex
Pair late 19th Century Famille Rose Ginger jar / lamps, each depicting mothers and children playing. Mounted on turned ebonized bases.
Batch 82...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
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
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 Porcelain Polychrome and Gilt Rouleau Vase Lamps
Located in New York, NY
Each decorated in the 18th century spirit with floral blossoms, butterflies and bees, and gilt banding, on a giltwood turned base. Fitted with brass ...
Category
20th Century 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
Antique Chinese Famille Rose Procession Scene Design Porcelain Vase Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese table lamp made from an 18th century porcelain vase mounted with wood and brass hardware as a lamp, a multi-colored famille rose and genre scene depicting a processio...
Category
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
Pair of Kerosene Lamps with Birds in Chinese Style
Located in Paris, FR
Pair of French antique kerosene lamps. The bronze paunch is decorated with birds on branches and flowers in Chinese style. What makes these lamps stun...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Vintage Chinese Yellow 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 yellow and green, resting on octagonal bases and mounted with brass hardware. (PRICED AS Pair)
Ships wit...
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
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 Porcelain Lamp Base
Located in Dallas, TX
A Chinese export porcelain lamp base with French, Louis XVI style bronze doré mountings.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Pair of Chinese Style Filigree Gilt Wood Dragon Floor Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Asian Chinese-style (19th Century) carved and filigree gilt wood 6 sided dragon base floor lamps with round brass filigree shade (PRICED AS Pai...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Brass
A Cream Color Ceramic Lamp on Giltwood Base with Linen Shade
Located in New York, NY
A ceramic lamp in a lovely cream-colored glaze with a graceful silhouette. The warm giltwood base gives the lamp a soft. elegance. With their neutral color, these lamps can work anyw...
Category
1980s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic, Giltwood
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
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
Antique Chinese Blue & White Table Lamp
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Classically elegant timeless vintage Chinese blue and white table lamp having lovely floral decoration. Custom shade is 10" h x 15 diamete...
Category
1920s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Mid-Century Style Turquoise Table Lamps
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Striking pair of table lamps crafted in porcelain in a classic asian form with an alluring blue glaze and presented on lucite bases.
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain, Lucite
Fine Pair of 19th Century Ormolu-Mounted Chinese Porcelain Vases Oil Lamps
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A fine pair of Chinese Export, 19th century porcelain bottle vases mounted with French ormolu as oil lamps. The well potted ovoid light pale-green porcelain pear...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ormolu
$7,895 Sale Price / set
39% Off
Chinese Pale Yellow and Colorful Floral Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese porcelain table lamp made from a pale yellow, rounded vase decorated with a brightly colored floral design mounted on a wooden base with wooden top and brass hardware.
Ship...
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
Early 19th Century Chinese Export Porcelain Pistol Handle Urn, wired as a Lamp
Located in Atlanta, GA
Early 19th Century Chinese Export Porcelain Pistol Handle Urn, wired as a lamp.
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
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
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 Gray Barrel Porcelain Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese porcelain table lamp in a light gray hue and barrel shape on a wooden base with brass hardware. (Available in yellow: NWL2003)
Ships without a shade."
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
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
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
Chinese Off-White and Blue Figurative Scene Stoneware Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) table lamp made from an off-white and blue stoneware vase with carved floral bands, two small decorative handles, and a scene depicting two women...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
Pair of Chinese Yellow Balancing Scene Table Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
"Pair of Chinese ceramic table lamps made from yellow, urn-shaped vases decorated with hand-painted figurative scenes of men on balance beams, and wooden ...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
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
Large Chinese Carved and Painted Wooden Buddha Head Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese carved bleached wood table lamp with Buddha head on a square giltwood base with a giltwood head piece under a three light top with central...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Glass, Wood
Pair of Late 19th Century Chinese Crackle-Ware Vases / Lamps
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A pair of late 19th century Chinese crackle-ware vases/lamps. Each with various battle scenes with warriors on horseback, mounted with wonderful gilded ormolu lids and bases.
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
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
Pair of Chinese Cream Balance Beam Design Table Lamps
Located in Queens, NY
"Pair of Chinese table lamps made from cream, gourd-shaped vases hand-painted with figures on a balance beam and wooden bases with brass hardware. (PRICED...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Metal, Brass
Chinese Off-White Foliage Motif Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese off-white porcelain table lamp made from a baluster-shaped vase decorated with a motif of beige foliage punctuated by red florals and two colorful geometric bands, a wooden b...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
19th C Chinese Glazed Ceramic Lamp
Located in Charleston, SC
This earth-toned ceramic lamp features a porcelain Chinese dragon flying through clouds. Additionally, it features a lace cuff surrounding the neck with dogwoods. The base is brass w...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
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
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 Samson Style Armorial Lamps
By Edmé Samson
Located in Lambertville, NJ
An elegant pair of French porcelain Samson style Armorial decorated table lamps. These are marked "Made in France" on the underside attributing ...
Category
Early 20th Century French Chinese Export Lighting
Materials
Porcelain
$1,250 / set
Pair of 19th Century Rose Medallion Vases / Lamps
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A pair of 19th century Chinese Cantonese / rose medallion vases / lamps. Each with wonderful green ground decoration with inset hand painted panels depicting classical scenes with Geisha girls, courtiers and children, gilded ormolu mounts...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese 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.
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