In what’s considered a golden age of Chinese furniture, Ming dynasty artisans produced expertly made designs that married elegance and function. Ming furniture was versatile, such as tables that doubled as writing desks and dining spaces. But it was also beautiful, enhancing a room with clean lines, soft curves and sophisticated decoration.
Dating from 1368 to 1644, the Ming dynasty was a vibrant time for international trade and culture. Especially for scholars and the wealthy, there was an emphasis on a home’s design to promote a good life. From large wardrobes to angular sofas, Ming-style furniture was defined by its joinery, which, instead of nails, involved meticulously designed interlocking elements of wood. This material was carefully selected and positioned to make the grain part of the design. The slow-growing huanghuali, a yellowish rosewood, was particularly valued for its bright color.
Although ornamentation was minimal, Ming dynasty furniture often featured carved or painted details of flowers, insects, dragons, fruits and other motifs. Chairs crafted for scholars could include calligraphic brush writing. As overseas trade expanded, techniques from the West, like cloisonné enamel painting, adorned table screens and other pieces.
Ming furniture influenced styles abroad such as Queen Anne in England and Hollywood Regency in the United States. The curved shape of Ming armchairs had a profound impact on legendary Scandinavian modernist furniture designer Hans Wegner. The Danish cabinetmaker shared the Ming artisans’ interest in creating streamlined, functional furnishings, and his China chair, Round chair and Wishbone chair are inspired by Ming dynasty seating. Today, the Ming-style horseshoe chair is a graceful and sought-after type of seat, and contemporary Chinese designers such as Jerry Chen and Gan Erke are also drawing on this heritage for a new era of style.
Find a collection of Ming cabinets, decorative objects, lounge chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Antique Orientalist Rug with Floral Motifs in Bone and Blue Tones
Located in New York, NY
This graphic and sophisticated Ming rug was realized in China, circa 1880. Presented against a black background, the circular rug presents sprigs of cherry blossoms resting in a vase...
Cotton
The Celestial Reverie: Antique Chinese Art Deco Masterpiece of Eastern Elegance
Located in Dallas, TX
77449 Antique Chinese Art Deco Rug, 08'03 x 09'09. Radiating an air of cultivated exclusivity, this hand-knotted wool antique Chinese Art Deco rug evokes the refined artistic legacy ...
Wool
Early Chinese Ningxia Rug with Lotus Flowers
Located in Milan, IT
A rare and beautiful early Chinese carpet characterized by an infinite repeat of parallel and offset rows of blue and ivory lotus blossoms, symbols of purity, on a two-tone yellow ba...
Wool
$11,000Sale Price|20% Off
Pale Blue Antique Chinese Rug
Located in New York, NY
Enchanting early 20th century highly decorative Chinese Peking rug with an abrashed light blue field The wool and feel of the rug is very soft on the feet. It has a silky sheen to it...
Wool
Fine Antique Imperial Chinese Red Silk Rug with Phoenixes
Located in Milan, IT
A very rare silk Ningxia carpet with an unusual lacquer red background decorated at the centre by a large phoenix and surrounded by four smaller phoenixes in the corners. The phoenix...
Silk
Early Chinese Carpet with Stylized Lotus Flowers and Leaf Stems
Located in Milan, IT
The extremely rare and monumental, ivory background large carpet shown here is decorated by an harmonious pattern of blue and light blue scrolling lotus flowers connected to each oth...
Wool
Fine Antique Blue Peking Imperial Dragon Carpet, Circa 1880
Located in Milan, IT
A central, five-clawed dragon (the symbol of both the forces of nature and the Chinese emperor), is surrounded by four other dragons, all floating on an indigo blue background. At bo...
Wool
$42,000Sale Price|30% Off
Remarkable Ivory Ground and Multi Color Border Antique Chinese Ningxia Rug
Located in New York, NY
Mid-19th Century W. Chinese Ningxia Carpet 16' 6" ( 503 cm ) x 18' ( 549 cm ) A fierce lion dog confronts a flaming pearl in the centre of this ivory ground large antique Ningxia ca...
Wool
Rare and Unusual Antique Kashgar Rug with Mughal Pattern
Located in Milan, IT
A very rare small format, very finely knotted antique rug from the oasis of Kashgar, located in eastern Turkestan. Distinguished by a unique soft red background and by an all-over pattern consisting of a trellis containing a directional floral blossom motif characteristic of the Indian Mughal Dynasty...
Wool
Distressed 18th Century Antique Ningxia Chinese Narrow Runner Rug
Located in Milan, IT
An exquisitely elegant early Temple runner from the Ningxia region in northwest China, commissioned in the early 18th century for a Buddhist monastery in Tibet. The pattern is compos...
Wool
Museum Quality Antique Chinese Pillar Rug with Lotus Flowers
Located in Milan, IT
A very unusual long and narrow pillar rug, decorated by large lotus flowers with tracery in a manner reminiscent of Ming period weavings. It is very finely ...
Wool
Bobyrug’s Wonderful Antique Chinese Pictural Embroidery with Silk and Metal
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Exquisite Early 20th Century Chinese Embroidery Discover a stunning piece of art from the early 20th century – a Chinese embroidery masterpiece. This work of art features a mythologi...
Metal
Antique Chinese Rug with Brocade Pattern
Located in Milan, IT
A rare and unusual red ground Chinese rug decorated by an infinite repeat pattern composed of a network of geometric devices derived from silk brocades of the Ming period. Examples o...
Wool
Fragment of the Antique Tiffany Chinese Carpet with Lotus Flowers
Located in Milan, IT
The only huge carpet known to have left the Imperial Palace in Beijing's Forbidden City, formerly in the Perenchio collection, is the famous Tiffany carpet, 9.99 metres long and once 9.68 metres wide, but since reduced to 7.20 metres wide. The carpet was originally made in three parts to fit around the columns of an unknown hall, and was reportedly last used in China in the private temple of the Empress Dowager Cixi. It was purchased for Louis Comfort Tiffany of New York, who owned it for more than thirty years. The Tiffany carpet is currently attributed to the end of the Ming dynasty and is thought to have been made in the first part of the 17th century. The field pattern is composed of a repeating design of rows of lotus flowers on a soft beige ground, originally deep red, overlaid in the centre with a medallion formed by a blue line edged in ivory and pinched in the four corners. The field is enclosed by two borders on the same colour, which reappears beyond the borders to create a wide band around the outer edge. The inner border is composed of a lattice of stepped squares filled with a swastika, with a large rosette at each intersection. The outer border is a double version of the swastika fret. A section of the field is shown here, and a few other fragments survive. The Tiffany carpet clearly forms a link between the carpets made during the late 16th century and those made in the late 17th century. Examples with an identical flower design or the same specific ‘heavy’ weave are now referred to as the ‘Tiffany’ type after this most important carpet. Other carpets of this type include one in the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City and one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Tiffany type...
Wool
Antique Indigo Blue Geometric Ningxia Chinese Rug with Rosettes in Compartments
Located in Milan, IT
A rare and unusual Chinese rug decorated with an all-over pattern of eight-petalled rosettes, joined together to form a lattice in the negative of which is the longevity motif, that ...
Wool
Rare Antique Kansu Rug with Tiger Pelt Pattern and Confronting Dragons
Located in Milan, IT
This rug belongs to a small group of weavings recently defined as RKO because of their distinctive design, consisting of a sequence of bands with strokes and dashes that are reminiscent of the sonic sound waves present on the logo of the RKO motion picture company. The structural characteristics of this piece, together with the type of wool employed, indicate its origin to the district of Kansu, of which we know only fifteen examples. The field pattern is clearly a rendition of a tiger pelt...
Wool
Fine Minimalist Antique Peking Chinese Rug with Tone-on-Tone Pattern
Located in Milan, IT
The minimalist effect achieved by this Chinese carpet is very much favoured by decorators outfitting many of today’s most stylish interiors. The field is decorated by a subtle tone o...
Wool
Rare Antique Chinese Ningxia Rug with Blue Lotus Flowers on a Blush Pink Field
Located in Milan, IT
This rare Ningxia rug features a blush pink background decorated by a directional pattern of large blue lotus flowers, symbols of long life, connected by a thin leafy vinery. The blu...
Wool
Fine Antique Blue Peking Chinese Rug with Scrolling Lotus Flowers
Located in Milan, IT
A very finely woven antique Chinese rug woven in the Imperial workshops of Peking. Distinguished by an elegant pattern of scrolling lotus flowers on an indigo background, this type r...
Wool
Mint Antique Imperial Chinese Ningxia Throne Back Cover with Lion Dogs
Located in Milan, IT
A rare example of Ningxia Chinese throne back cover of Imperial quality in pristine condition. A true gem distinguished by a plethora of shades of red, ...
Wool
$5,957Sale Price|39% Off
Charming Beige Color With Small Typically Chinese Pattern Antique Ningxia Rug
Located in New York, NY
Late 19th Century Chinese Ningxia Carpet ( 8' x 9'6" - 245 x 290 )
Wool
18th Century Chinese Ningxia Rug with Floral Medallion and Butterflies
Located in Milan, IT
Characterised by the delicate drawing which distinguishes the weavings of the short and noble Yongzheng period (1723-1735), it has a beautifully drawn...
Wool
$13,160Sale Price|30% Off
Impressive Beige Ground Color & Symmetrical Design Antique Chinese Ningxia Rug
Located in New York, NY
Antique Chinese, Ningxia rug, size: 10'4" x 15'6".
Wool
Brown Chinese Art Deco Rug
Located in New York, NY
Chinese Art Deco Mat scatter size rug Measure: 2'11'' x 4'10''.
Wool
Mid 19th Century Blue and Tan Chinese Ning Hsia Mat with Lotus Blossoms
Located in San Francisco, CA
This fluffy Chinese seating square was most probably woven by ethnic Hui Muslim weavers in the area of Ningxia in northern China for a Buddhist religious institution somewhere in eit...
Wool
Bobyrug’s Wonderful Antique Chinese Art Deco Beijing Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Exquisite mid-century Chinese Beijing rug, featuring a captivating design and vibrant colors. Hand-knotted with meticulous craftsmanship, this rug boasts a blue field adorned with st...
Wool, Cotton
Antique Chinese Embroidery Tapestry
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Beautiful antique embroidery from China late 19th century with very nice Chinese design with birds, flowers and personages, and beautiful purple color silk foundation, entirely hand ...
Silk
Antique Chinese Pictorial Rug with Deer and Crane Figures
Located in Atlanta, GA
Measures: 5' x 7'7. This enchanting east Chinese rug incorporates five symbols of longevity: the deer, the crane, a tree, rocks and water. Originally of Chinese origin, the symbols took on a secular presence within Tibetan art. The four corners contain objects that are artistic and scholarly in nature. The rug was probably intended to bring the owner the good fortune of a long life matched with great intelligence and artistic ability. Antique Chinese pictorial rug with deer...
Wool
$7,007
H 31.11 in W 18.51 in D 0.04 in
Imperial Five-Clawed Dragon Chinese Textile 'Silk & Metal', 18th Century
Located in Ferrara, IT
This is an 18th-century imperial silk Chinese textile that measures 79 x 47CM in size. This rare example has been preserved in excellent condition and has retained its dramatic satur...
Silk
Tibetan Saddle Carpet with Scholars' Objects, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusually-shaped carpet is known as a "makden" and was originally used by a nomadic traveler as an artful covering for his horse. Placed between the saddle and the horse, the makden cushioned the rigid saddle and kept the horse warm in cold climates. Most under-saddle carpets include two to four holes near the center, through which the girth straps of the saddle were threaded. Dated to the late 19th century, this Tibetan saddle carpet...
Fabric, Wool
Tibetan Saddle Carpet with Floral Medallions, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusually-shaped carpet is known as a "makden" and was originally used by a nomadic traveler as an artful covering for his horse. Placed between the saddle and the horse, the makden cushioned the rigid saddle and kept the horse warm in cold climates. Most under-saddle carpets...
Fabric, Wool
Tibetan Saddle Carpet with Wheel of Life Medallions, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusually-shaped carpet is known as a "makden" and was originally used by a nomadic traveler as an artful covering for his horse. Placed between the saddle and the horse, the makden cushioned the rigid saddle and kept the horse warm in cold climates. Most under-saddle carpets include two to four holes near the center, through which the girth straps of the saddle were threaded. Dated to the late 19th century, this Tibetan saddle carpet...
Fabric, Wool
Chinese Art Deco Aubergine Carpet with Chrysanthemums, c. 1930s
Located in Chicago, IL
This elegant Art Deco carpet was crafted in Shanghai, a bustling port city at the forefront of taste and culture in early 20th-century China and a hub for East-Meets-West furniture a...
Wool, Cotton
Vintage Pastel Floral Kilim Rug with French Victorian Style
Located in Dallas, TX
77818 Vintage Floral Kilim Rug, 04'02 x 06'00. This handwoven wool vintage floral kilim rug, hailing from the refined weaving traditions of China,...
Wool
Antique Chinese Rug, Tan and Blue Oriental Handmade Wool Rug
Located in Port Washington, NY
China has a long tradition of carpets and the original ones, probably used as merchandise, are dated at over 2000 years ago. The art of knotting carpets was however, introduced somewhere around the 15th century in China. The patterns on some of the older Chinese carpets...
Wool
Early Chinese Kangxi Period '1662-1722' Ningxia Rug with Blossom Palmettes
Located in Milan, IT
A very unusual Chinese rug, possibly used originally as a dais cover, which had been previously attributed to the Western region of Gansu (H. König, Gansu, Hali 138, London 2005, pl. 13, p. 58). However both the structure and the colours are fairly typical of Ningxia weavings from the Kangxi period (1662-1722), which marks the first Qing Dynasty empire following the Ming Dynasty and which still carries much of its iconography. Of particular note are the four stylised blue dragons on a coral background which decorate the corners of the composition. A true masterpiece of early Chinese textile art.
Wool
New Contemporary Chinese Art Deco Style Dragon Pictorial Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
30661, new contemporary Chinese Art Deco Style Dragon pictorial rug. This hand-knotted wool Chinese Art Deco style rug features a large dragon surrounded by Ruyi clouds. Seen as poss...
Wool
Antique Chinese Pictorial Tapestry with Traditional Crane Design
Located in Dallas, TX
77548, antique Chinese pictorial tapestry with traditional crane design. This hand knotted wool antique Chinese pictorial tapestry features a large red-crowned crane design set against an abrashed neutral field. The crane is depicted standing on one leg with its wings outstretched while perched atop a cliff alongside several bamboo plants. The crane is one of the most widely used symbols throughout Chinese art and literature and figures heavily in Chinese mythology. The creature is thought to represent longevity, immortality, nobility, and fidelity. It is often represented alongside bamboo, as it is in this piece, another symbol of longevity. The warm sepia backdrop recalls ancient Chinese scrolls...
Wool
Sold
H 83 in W 51 in L 83 in
Antique Chinese Art Deco Pictorial Rug with Fishing Village Landscape Scenes
Located in Dallas, TX
77448 Antique Chinese Art Deco Pictorial rug with landscape scenes and Chinoiserie style. This hand knotted wool antique Chinese Art Deco rug features landscape scenes of fishing vil...
Wool
Antique Chinese Art Deco Rug with Minimalist Qing Dynasty Style
Located in Dallas, TX
77447 antique Chinese Art Deco rug with Minimalist Qing Dynasty style. This hand knotted wool antique Chinese Art Deco rug features a color-blocked field and border scheme festooned ...
Wool
Important Ancient Chinese Tea Attendant Hand Glazed, Ming Dynasty 1368-1644
Located in South Burlington, VT
Important ancient Chinese female -tea attendant- handmade and hand glazed in green and amber colors, Ming dynasty 1368-1644. Superb quality. The statue is dressed in long gowns with long sleeves, with hands caressing important tea pot attribute needed in the after life: She is richly glazed in green and amber colors- a superior feature not often found on these works of art and representative of an important tomb which deserved highest quality pottery representations. This figure is extremely detailed and beautifully glazed in green and rich amber and highlighted in red and white cold painted pigments. Most of the original colors remain intact. The figures were often placed in a north-south direction in coffin Chambers to represent the progress of time. People hoped that such an arrangement would encourage the gods to visit and to guard the tomb. This example is infrequently found in wealthy tombs of the elite and wealthy ancient Ming Chinese. Dimension: 12.5 inches tall Condition: Handmade and hand glazed. Superb quality, figure is original and intact with finely preserved glazes and pigments. As with most Ming dynasty sculptures...
Ceramic, Pottery
Sold
W 4 in L 12.5 in
Important Ancient Chinese Trio Women Handmade Hand Glazed, Ming Dynsty 1368-1644
Located in South Burlington, VT
Important Ancient Chinese Trio of three women attendants hand made and hand glazed in green and amber colors, a collection three (3) figures, Ming dynasty 1368-1644. Superb quality. The statues each are dressed in long gowns with long sleeves, their hands caressing important attributes needed in the after life: a) porcelain vase b) treasures box c) precious comb They are richly glazed in green and amber colors- a superior feature not often found on these works of art and representative of an important tomb which deserved highest quality pottery representations. These figures are extremely detailed and beautifully glazed in green and rich amber and highlighted in red and white cold painted pigments. Most of the original colors remain intact. The figures were often placed in a north-south direction in coffin Chambers to represent the progress of time. People hoped that such an arrangement would encourage the gods to visit and to guard the tomb. This scarce kind of collection is infrequently found in wealthy tombs of the elite and wealthy ancient Ming Chinese. Dimension: 12.5 inches tall Condition: Handmade and hand glazed. Superb quality, all figures are original and intact with finely preserved glazes and pigments. As with most Ming dynasty sculptures...
Ceramic, Pottery
Silk and Metallic Thread Chinese Rug with Lotus Flowers
Located in Milan, IT
A very finely woven rug in silk and metal thread distinguished by a pattern of swirling leafy stems from which sprout large lotus flowers (symbols of purity. The silk pile is embosse...
Metallic Thread