Chinese Export Furniture
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
Recognized Seller Listings
Antique Chinese Carved Wooden Longgui Dragon Turtle Sculpture
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese carved wooden sculpture of a Longgui or (dragon turtle) holding a coin in its mouth on an ornately carved wooden base.
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Wood
Massive Rose Canton Porcelain Punch Bowl, Edmé Samson et Cie, Paris
By Edmé Samson
Located in Downingtown, PA
Massive Rose Canton Porcelain Punch bowl,
Edme Samson et Cie, Paris,
circa 1880
The massive beautiful bowl with unusual steep sides is...
Category
19th Century Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese White and Blue Floral and Character Ginger Jar Vases
Located in Queens, NY
5 Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) similar porcelain ginger jars with blue floral designs around bold, centered characters and geometric bands leading to unglazed rims (jars vary...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Export Porcelain Dish with Dutch Decoration of a Voc Ship
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A Chinese export porcelain dish with Dutch decoration of a VOC ship
Circa 1700-1710, the Dutch decoration circa 1720-1730
Diam. 21.5 cm
?
Originally l...
Category
Early 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Chinese Cloisonne Pots with Stands
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Asian Chinese (19/20th century) blue and multi-colored cloisonnv small rectangular cachepots. (priced as pair).
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
$1,250 / set
Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Patinated Bronze Rectangular Vessel
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a bronze tapered urn with a green patina, decorated with raised geometric patterns, accented with two handles and sitting atop a trapezoidal...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Bronze
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 Furniture
Materials
Brass
Vintage Chinese Rectangular Tole Black and Gold Monestary Scene Tray
Located in Queens, NY
Vintage Chinese rectangular tole serving tray with a painted gold design of a figures in a monestary courtyard on a black background surrounded by a shallow lip with rounded corners....
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Metal
Antique Chinese Export Silver Firewater Dragon Cocktail Shaker
Located in New York, NY
Chinese export silver cocktail shaker, ca 1910. Tapering and girdled bowl with curved shoulder, high-looping handle, and stubby spout with chained cap. Cork-lined cover with scroll-b...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Chinese Export Silver Vinaigrette by Canton Retailer Cutshing
By Cutshing
Located in New York, NY
Chinese export silver vinaigrette. Rectangular with hinged cover. Scenes of indigenous life in low relief. Interior gilt with hinged grill; engraved presentation on cover: “E. E. W. ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Antique Chinese Mahogany Flower Vase Base / Stand
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese carved mahogany flower pot base / stand with a circular surface to hold a pot or vase, resting on four bowed and carved feet with a circular stretcher.
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Wood
Pair of Chinese Olive-Colored Porcelain Meiping Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of similar antique Chinese (early 19th Century) Meiping form porcelain vases in a deep olive green teadust glaze (mark on bottom, see photos) (PRICED AS PAIR).
Condition: Good;...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Camphor Wood Sailor's Large Brass-Bound Sea or Campaign Chest & Lock
Located in Downingtown, PA
Chinese Export Sailor's Large Brass-bound Camphor Wood Sea or Campaign Chest,
Mid-19th Century.
A large rectangular dramatic campaign or sailor's trunk lined with Camphor wood and with interior inset drawer, the exterior with brass corners and clasp. There is the original Chinese lock...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Wood
Chinese White and Figurative Pastoral Scene Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) white porcelain urn decorated with a detailed and lively scene of people gathering in a pastoral Setting and blue...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Export Silver Bowl and Spoon
Located in New Orleans, LA
This delightful and extremely rare spoon and bowl pair exemplifies the remarkable artistry of Chinese export silver. Chinese silver pieces are renowned for their exceptional quality and unique designs, and the majority are entirely hand crafted. Today, many of these elaborate designs are housed in major museum collections, and remain a rarity on the market.
Beginning in the 18th century, silver workshops in China specialized in the manufacture of silver export pieces for Western audiences. Typically bearing motifs that were popular amongst Americans and Europeans such as dragons, bamboo and floral patterns, these charming pieces were all beautifully handcrafted with the utmost skill. Today, important pieces of Chinese export silver such as this one can be found in many of the major museum collections, and are highly valued amongst collectors.
The bowl boasts a fluid, undulating rim exquisitely engraved to depict bamboo, a motif which continues throughout the bowls body. Accompanying the bowl is a matching silver spoon, its handle intricately modeled as a vine with floral buds climbing upwards to its bowl, which seems to bloom with lovely applied buds and flowers.
The spoon features the mark of Wing Fat, a firm active in Hong Kong from 1875-1930 and Sing Fat...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Chinese Off-White and Blue Symbol Patterned Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) large, off-white porcelain urn painted with a blue pattern featuring Buddhist symbols and other shapes with accented blue scrolled handles.
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Export Silver Centrepiece
Located in London, GB
This impressive Chinese Export Silver Centrepiece, consists of a large central dish, pierced with bamboo decoration, supported by five shoots of bamboo also with bamboo leaf decorat...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Pair of Chinese Teal Nine-Peach Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese (Mid-20th Century) teal porcelain vases depicting a playful figurative scene of children at play in and around a peach tree and nine ripe peaches in total, symbolizin...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$12,500 / set
Chinese Green and Orange Lu Xing Wealth and Prosperity Deific Porcelain Figurine
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) glazed porcelain statue of Lu Xing, one of the deities of the three stars considered essential in Chinese astrology, each...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Export Silver Goblet
Located in London, GB
A rare Chinese Export Silver Goblet depicting the story of the Three Kingdoms. The goblet embossed and chased with characters from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, including Zhuge ...
Category
1870s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
$16,258
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 Furniture
Materials
Brass
Chinese Off-White and Blue Vine Character Porcelain Urn Vases
Located in Queens, NY
"4 Similar antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) off-white ceramic vases with urn forms decorated in light blue, delicate vine and floral motifs and bold characters on 4 sides (jars v...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese White and Blue Village Scene Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) large white, porcelain urn depicting a blue scene of a village along the water, and finished with two dark blue scrolled handles along the neck.
...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese White and Blue Garden and Bird Design Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) white and blue porcelain urn decorated with a bird amid a flowering garden, and accented in two navy scrolled handles along the neck.
Light wear...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Vintage Asian Green Tole Bonsai Palm Tree Sculptures
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Vintage Asian tole bonsai palm tree sculptures with green and gold painted leaves and trunks, mounted on oval bases. (PRICED AS PAIR)
Category
20th Century Asian Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Metal
Chinese White and Orange Botantical Motif Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) white porcelain urn decorated with green and blooming orange florals with two birds perched on a nearby branch, and accented with orange dog...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Extremely Fine Chinese Silk Embroidered Bed-Cover for the Dutch Market
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A Chinese red silk, embroidered bed cover
Guangdong or Macao, mid-18th century
The red silk cover, one one side elaborately embroided in co...
Category
Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Gold, Silver
Chinese Off-White and Navy Blue Bird Motif Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) off-white, porcelain urn with a navy blue bird amid florals and two blue scrolled handles along the neck.
Light wear, hairline cracks."
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Aubergine and Blue Changing Glaze Bulbous Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese bulbous vase made with a glaze that transforms after being fired in the kiln, resulting in traces of blue showing through the main aubergine/purple color.
Condition: Good; W...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Antique Chinese Silver Blossoming Branch 4-Part Glass Decanter
Located in New York, NY
Chinese silver-mounted glass decanter, ca 1900. Ovoid bowl and cylindrical neck; interior partitioned forming four compartments. Blossoming branch cage. Neck rings and collar with fl...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
XX°Century Chinese Decorative Screen Lacquered whit Landscape and Sails
Located in Brescia, IT
Chinese screen in black lacquered wood decorated with gilded paintings, very sturdy with excellent wooden base.
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Giltwood, Lacquer, Wood
Chinese Export Silver Bowl
By Luen Wo
Located in London, GB
A Chinese export silver bowl, profusely decorated with dragons among clouds on a matte background. The bowl has a vacant cartouche, and is fro...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Rare Chinese Export Porcelain Voc Dish
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A Chinese export porcelain VOC (Dutch East India Company) dish
Canton, Yongzheng period, circa 1730
Diam. 23 cm
Executed in rose-pink, ...
Category
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Export Silver Cocktail Shaker
By Tu Mao Xing
Located in London, GB
Chinese Export Silver Cocktail Shaker, made by Tu Mao Xing (涂茂興) in Jiujiang (九江), circa 1930. Finely embossed and chased in high relief with two opposing dragons chasing a pearl on ...
Category
1930s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Chinese Export Silver Cocktail Shaker
By Tu Mao Xing
Located in London, GB
Chinese Export Silver Cocktail Shaker, made by Tu Mao Xing (涂茂興) in Jiujiang (九江), circa 1930. Finely embossed and chased in high relief with two opposing dragons chasing a pearl on ...
Category
1930s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Chinese Export Porcelain Large Dish with Famille Rose Flowers
Located in Downingtown, PA
Chinese Export Porcelain Large Dish with Famille Rose Flowers including Chrysanthemum,
Circa 1760
The large Chinese Export porcelain circular dish is painted with a large central sc...
Category
Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Ginger Jar Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style (20th Cent) ginger jar shaped table lamp with a black, green & blue background with figures on a wood base.
Ships without a shade
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese White and Blue Lily Pad and Floral Design Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) white and blue porcelain urn decorated with a lily pad and floral motif, and accented in two navy scrolled handles along the neck.
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Porcelain Light Green and White Cartouche Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) bulbous porcelain urn with a large white cartouche depicting a basket of botanicals on each side against a light green background patterned with...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Rosewood and Brass Door Panel
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style (19th Century) rosewood and brass inlaid framed rounded top door panel with carved and gilt trimmed Samuri figure.
Category
19th Century Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Brass
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 Furniture
Materials
Wood
Chinese Off-White and Light Blue Vine Motif Porcelain Urn Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) off-white porcelain vase with an urn form decorated in a light blue, delicate vine and floral motifs and bold characters on 4 sides.
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Export Silver Bowl
Located in London, GB
A Chinese silver bowl of lobed round form with applied decoration depicting various flowers and birds. It has the mark of TS for the shop of Tien Shing or T...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Pair of Early 20th Century Chinese Multi-Colored Cloisonne Rooster Sculptures
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of early 20th century Chinese cloisonne rooster sculptures with red, white, blue, green, and yellow enamels standing on circular cloisonne bases...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Enamel
Chinese White and Blue Foo Dog Design Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) off-white porcelain urn decorated with blue foo dogs playing amid the clouds and accented in two pale blue scrolled ...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Vintage Chinese Brown and Gold Tole Serving Tray with Lake Scene
Located in Queens, NY
Vintage Chinese brown and gold tole serving tray featuring a lake scene with trees, bridges, boats, and fishermen.
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Metal
Antique Chinese White and Blue Squared Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (19th century) white ceramic vase with a squared form wrapped in dark blue geometric patterns, and adorned with blue foo dog door knockers...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese White and Blue Vine Design Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) white porcelain urn decorated with an all-over blue vine and flower patterned ground, surrounding spaced bold, blue characters.
Signs of wear t...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Chinese Export Canton Rose Vases Provenance: Paul Vandekar
Located in San Francisco, CA
A fine pair of Chinese export vases in the Canton Rose Medallion pattern and palette. Provenance: Earle D. Vandekar, London.
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Parade Scene Rounded Porcelain Watermelon Jar
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) low, rounded white porcelain vase, known as a watermelon jar, depicting a spirited procession of participants holding flags and playing drums lea...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Chinese Blue/White Porcelain Ginger Jars
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Asian Chinese (20th Century) blue and white porcelain temple / ginger jars with round lids, and hexagonal bases, featuring figures and a floral pattern (PRICED AS PAIR)
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,500 / set
Chinese Blue and White Deer and Floral Motif Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) large porcelain urn with blue spotted deer amid florals on an off-white background and two navy scrolled hand...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Navy Blue Ginger Jar
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) ceramic ginger jar vase in navy blue with a brown earthenware opening.
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Wooden Screen with Reverse Glass Painted Panels
Located in London, GB
This exquisite Chinese folding screen has been crafted from wood, and fitted with Fine reverse glass paintings. The screen is composed of six wooden panels. These panels are subdivid...
Category
Early 1900s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Wood, Glass
Antique Blue and White Chinese Export Porcelain Dish Hand Painted Kangxi 1700
Located in Katonah, NY
This beautiful blue and white porcelain dish was made in China during the Kangxi reign (1662–1722).
It was created specifically for export to the European market.
Measuring 8.25 inch...
Category
Early 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Export Silver Jardiniere with Dragons and Figures
Located in London, GB
A Chinese Export Silver Jardiniere circa 1890, of rectangular form and variously pierced to all four sides. The side with the vacant cartouche has two opposing dragons separated by a...
Category
1890s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Pair of Chinese White and Umber Floral Design Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
"Pair of Chinese white porcelain vases decorated with umber and pink floral motifs wrapping the bulbous forms, accented in blue, pink and yellow patterned bands around the tops and b...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Pink Cherry Blossom Tree Motif Table Lamp Mounted on a Wooden Base
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese off-white porcelain table lamp made from a bulbous vase with a budding green and pink cherry blossom tree growing up its form, a wooden base, and brass hardware.
Ships witho...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Export Silver Bowl
Located in London, GB
Chinese Export Silver Bowl with applied decoration depicting various plants and birds, and with three dragon handles. The retailer's mark is...
Category
1890s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Silver
Chinese Black Faux Bamboo Two-Tiered End Table
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese black end table with two tiers supported by gold-accented faux bamboo legs, and painted with gold borders and a floral motif decorating...
Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Wood
Chinese Export furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Chinese Export furniture 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 furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include asian art and furniture, decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, porcelain and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Chinese Export furniture 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 furniture, popular names associated with this style include Europa Antiques, Wang Hing & Co., Luen Wo, and Hung Chong & Co.. 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 furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $40 and tops out at $216,780 while the average work can sell for $1,998.