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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
Chinese White and Blue Floral and Feather Motif Porcelain Urn
Located in Queens, NY
"Chinese porcelain urn painted with a blue and white floral background surrounding a center square with a floral arrangement, feathers along the neck in varying shades of blue, and g...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Antique Chinese Court Genre Scene Design Porcelain Rouleau-Form Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Antique Chinese (late 19th-early 20th Century) porcelain rouleau-form vases with central designs of a court scene with figures in conversation surrounded by colorful geometri...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Chinese Famille Rose & Bird 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, with a multi-colored fam...
Category

18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Brass

Pair of Chinese Bamboo Root Carved Peacock Sculptures
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of similar Chinese peacock sculptures carved from the roots of bamboo, utilizing the main section of the root for the bodies, and the "root hair" ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bamboo, Wood

Pair of Vintage Asian Green and Gold 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 in circular pot bases. (PRICED AS PAIR)
Category

20th Century Asian Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Metal

Pair of Chinese Burgundy and White Floral Motif Pots
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese ceramic burgundy pots decorated with white floral motifs capturing the silhouette of florals, vines and leaves surrounding central medalli...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese White Famille Rose Pear-Shaped Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of similar Antique Chinese (early 20th Century) famille rose porcelain vases with pear-shaped forms decorated with pink and yellow florals, lily pads, cranes, and gold rims on o...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Patinated Bronze Tapered Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a bronze tapered urn with a green and black patina, decorated with raised geometric patterns and linear, carved pieces extending outward fro...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Framed Chinese Pen and Ink Ancestor in Navy Robes Portrait
Located in Queens, NY
Vintage (20th Century) Chinese pen and ink ancestor portrait capturing the honoree seated in a red chair on a patterned floor and wearing an elabor...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Wood, Paper, Glass, Walnut

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 Furniture

Materials

Brass

Chinese White and Multicolor Floral Round Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese white, round porcelain vase decorated in a pink, green, orange and blue floral designs, accented in gold detailing.      
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Style Black Iron Filigree Table Lamp
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style (19/20th Century) tall black iron filigree design tiered table lamp on a round base. Ships without a shade
Category

19th Century Unknown Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Iron, Wrought Iron

Chinese Multicolor Porcelain Pheasant Statue
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Mid 20th Century) glazed porcelain statue of a pheasant with colorful, gold-outlined plumes perched on a rocky formation of green and brown. (Smaller version availab...
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Framed Chinese Pen and Ink Ancestor Portrait in Navy
Located in Queens, NY
Vintage (20th Century) Chinese pen and ink ancestor portrait capturing the honoree seated and wearing an elaborate hat and navy dress, on a beige b...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Glass, Wood, Walnut, Paper

Chinese Export Silver Candelabrum & Dish
Located in London, GB
Chinese Centrepiece circa 1895, formed as a 2-light candelabrum with a central dish supported by two flying dragons. The underside of the candle holders and the dish are fluted, and...
Category

1890s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Five Extremely Rare Chinese Drawings of Foreigners, 18th Century, Colonial
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Five Chinese paintings of western people by an unknown artist China, circa 1760, captions later All in giltwood frames. “A woman with Portuguese hairdo, with gold, silver and gemstone necklace, a skirt under a vest, a koi on her back, called a cloak, a woman customarily inherited the family business, the male humble, to the threshold (Qianlong year, circa 1735).” Gouache on silk, measures: 32 x 25.4 cm “He is a Westerner who had a white skin. He does not have a heavy beard but plaits his hair. He wears a triangular black hat, short jacket, leather shoes and long stockings...
Category

Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Paper

Chinese Orange and Gold Botanical Porcelain Pitcher
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese small orange porcelain pitcher decorated with gold botanicals and characters with a white interior. Several small chips, wear to finish.
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White Globular Kylin Motif Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese (late 19th Century) white, globular porcelain vase with colorful kylin beasts, symbolizing good luck, amid geometric and floral designs. Condition: Good; Wear consistent wit...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Yellow Gourd Shaped Double Handled Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) yellow porcelain vases with gourd forms and handles (mark on bottom, see photos) (PRICED AS PAIR). Condition: Good; Wear consistent with ...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Bronze Fluted Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a patinaed bronze urn with ram head ornamentation below the fluted mouth, raised geometric patterns wrapping the body and a tapered circular...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Chinese Tang Dynasty-Style Terra Cotta Woman and Kneeling Camel Tomb Figure
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Tang Dynasty-style terracotta tomb figure of a woman in a gray dress sitting on a kneeling Bactrian camel with its head tilted back and mout...
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Terracotta

Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Patinated Bronze Shallow Bowl
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a patinated bronze shallow bowl carved with raised geometric patterned bands wrapping the exterior, and an inscription on the bottom of the ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bronze

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

Pair of Yellow Pear Shaped Ceramic Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Antique Chinese (early 20th Century) yellow, pear-shaped porcelain vases with crackled finishes, gold rims, and teal interiors (mark on bottom, see photos) (PRICED AS PAIR). ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Song Dynasty Style Beige Cong Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Antique Chinese Song Dynasty-style (late 19th Century) vases with traditional cong forms, beige crackle finishes, and round mouths and bases (PRICED AS PAIR). Condition: Goo...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese White and Blue Character and Floral Ginger Jar Vases
Located in Queens, NY
3 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

Pair of Chinese Blue and Orange Fish Design Porcelain Sleeve Vases
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of antique Chinese (mid 20th century) sleeve-shaped porcelain vases decorated with orange fish swimming around blue backgrounds, inspired by patterns ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Hand Painted Cantonese Vase
Located in Dublin 8, IE
19th century hand painted Cantonese vase in the Famille Rose style. The baluster-shaped body with brightly painted panels depicts interior sc...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Blue and White Floral Lidded Ginger Jar Vases
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of antique Chinese (late 19th century) similar ceramic ginger jars with blue floral designs surrounding bold, centered characters and geometric patterned bands leading to brown ...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Export Silver Bowl
Located in London, GB
Chinese Export Silver Bowl circa 1890, pierced with wonderfully detailed Two Dragons Playing with Pearl decoration and on a plain collet foo...
Category

1890s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

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 Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass

Pair of Antique Chinese Orange Foo Dog Patterned Porcelain Lidded Ginger Jars
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Antique Chinese (late 19th-early 20th Century) porcelain lidded ginger jars with a pattern featuring swirling orange foo dogs against a gray-beige background. (PRICED AS PAIR...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Blue and Purple Glazing Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (early 20th Century) blue vase with purple and pink glazing that creates an ethereal effect across its pear-shaped form. Condition: Good; Wear consistent with age an...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Fluted and Scalloped Celadon Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Chinese celadon porcelain vases with tall fluted necks and scalloped openings (PRICED AS PAIR). Condition: Good; Wear consistent with age and use
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Patinated Bronze Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a patinated bronze vase with a bulbous body decorated in raised geometric pattern bands, sitting atop a circular base, and accented with two...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Set of 4 Chinese Red Porcelain Catchalls
Located in Queens, NY
Set of 4 Chinese red glazed porcelain catchalls with organic forms decorated in raised depictions of frogs around the exteriors (priced as set).      
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Chinese Porcelain Foo Dogs
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Asian Chinese (19/20th Cent) green and yellow small porcelain reclining foo dog figures
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Chinese Silver Battle Mug with Dramatic Dragon Handle
Located in New York, NY
Chinese silver mug, ca 1865. Straight and upward tapering sides with dense low-relief frieze: Spearmen and swordsmen on foot and horse thrust and lu...
Category

Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Export Style Porcelain Oval Basin
Located in New York, NY
With applied handles to the sides, painted in blue monochrome with band of swags under the rim, over crown, shield motifs and sparse stylized flowers; the interior with three leaves ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique 1900s Chinese Silver Vinaigrette
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Chinese silver vinaigrette in the form of a purse; an addition to our silver boxes collection This excep...
Category

Early 1900s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Chinoiserie Scene Portrait
Located in Queens, NY
2 Asian Chinese style oil painting portraits on canvas of figural chinoiserie scene of man holding bird with bowing servant framed by gold leaf painted fretwork (Similar to 058969) (...
Category

20th Century Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Gold

Antique Chinese Urn Shaped Orange Foo Dog Design Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese (late 19th-early 20th Century) porcelain vase with an urn-shaped form and swirling orange foo dog designs on a grayish-beige background. Condition: Good; Wear consistent wit...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Patinated Bronze Lidded and Footed Pot
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a patinated bronze pot carved with raised geometric patterned bands wrapping its form, sitting atop three feet, fitted with two handles and ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Metal

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 Famille Rose Thousand Flower Pattern Shallow Porcelain Bowl Centerpiece
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese shallow porcelain bowl with a "thousand flower"" pattern that covers the bowl in such an abundant array of brightly colored florals that neither the branches, nor the porcela...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Cream and Botanical Design Round Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese round, cream porcelain vase painted with a bird above softly rendered green leaves and pink florals on one side, and characters on the reverse.  
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Han Dynasty-Style Patinated Bronze Tapered Leg Vessel
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a patinated bronze vessel carved with raised geometric and serpentine patterns, sitting atop three tapered legs and finished with two c-shap...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Chinese Orange Lidded Porcelain Jars
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) orange porcelain jars depicting white medallions with imagery of fish, seaweed and pastoral scenes and topped with wooden lids (date mark...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain, Wood

Pair of Antique 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 Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Metal, Enamel

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 Furniture

Materials

Porcelain, Wood

Chinese Han Dynasty Style Patinated Bronze Footed and Lidded Pot
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese Han Dynasty-style copy of a patinated bronze lidded pot etched with a subtle, all-over geometric pattern, sitting atop three feet, fitted with two handles and topped ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Chinese Bogu Pattern Tiger-Handled Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) white porcelain vase painted with a pink and green bogu pattern featuring bonsai, art objects, and calligraphy, green tiger ornamentation on each ...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Rust Agate Bowl with Lid and Stand
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese rust agate oval bowl with a carved relief base supporting a pieced and carved lid with a finial top. (modern base 1¬æ" high).   
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Stone, Marble

Chinese Gray Incised Meiping Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) gray porcelain vase in a Meiping form carved with tonal floral medallions and accented with diminutive handles at the opening. Condition: Good; W...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Charger
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese-style (19/20th Century) blue and white porcelain charger with a floral scene and a scalloped edge.
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Purple Glazed Porcelain Pear Shaped Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Antique Chinese (Late 19th Century) purple glazed ceramic vase with a pear-shaped form, a gold rim along the mouth, foo dog ornamentation along the neck, and a bright teal blue inter...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Export Silver Goblet
Located in London, GB
Large Chinese Export Silver Goblet engraved with bamboo and three cicadas and standing on three entwined shoots of bamboo. The goblet was retailed by Wang Hing circa 1895, and the ma...
Category

1890s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Silver

Chinese Carved Bamboo Root Face Wall Hanging
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese wall plaque made from a bamboo root carved in the shape of a smiling face with a bamboo root fiber beard. (Companion pieces: NWL2543A-G).  
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Bamboo, Wood

Asian Chinese Style Brown Lacquered Gilt Medallion Coffee Table
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese-style (20th Century) brown lacquered square coffee table with gilt star trim and a large round center medallion with figure...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Gold Plate

Late 18th Century Framed Chinese Glass Back Painted Scene of a Family
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese (18th/19th century) framed glass back painting depicting a family beneath two flowering trees surrounded by birds and butterflies in a wooden frame with decorative metal top ...
Category

Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture

Materials

Glass

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.

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