Chinese Export Furniture
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.
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
1790s English Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
17th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
17th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
1780s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Padouk
1720s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Paper
17th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
17th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
1770s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
1720s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
1780s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
1720s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
1720s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Early 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Paper
1720s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic
1730s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
1770s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century French Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Steel, Iron
1770s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
1770s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
1720s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Brass
18th Century Tibetan Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Terracotta
Early 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
1770s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
1720s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Stoneware
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Glass, Hardwood
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
A grouping of 9 Chinese porcelain objects including a blue and white floral bowl, a Famille rose bowl heavily enamel decorated with figural scenes, a "thousand...
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Early 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Celadon
Late 17th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Terracotta
18th Century Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Ceramic
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
17th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Furniture
Stoneware