Ming Furniture
MING STYLE
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.
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Item Ships From: Netherlands
Style: Ming
Antique Chinese Zhangzhou Swatow Slip Decoration Charger Ming Dynasty
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Unusual Majestic and Large Chinese Ming period Swatow Charger.
It's quite difficult to catch the true color of this one in the studio, the photos outside with phone are therefore the...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$5,977 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Octagonal Blue and White Dish Wanli Tianqi Chinese Porcelain Figural
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
OCTAGONAL BLUE-AND-WHITE DISH WANLI / TIANOI. C.1610-1625
The dish has a flat centre, a small cavetto and a broad eight-sided flange. The shallow unglazed footring has been trimmed w...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,144 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain Figural Dish Late Ming Tianqi or CHongzhen
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated plate with a scene figures in a landscape
10-8-19-1-6
Condition
/ Overall Condition. Rimfritting, only. 206mm
Period
17th century Ming (1368 - 1620)
Category
16th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,108 Sale Price
20% Off
36CM Antique 17/18th c Kraak Style Blue White Dutch Delftware Earthenware Cha.
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Earthenware dish with a flat rim. Decorated in different shades of blue on a white tin glaze. Central scene of a grasshopper on a rock. These kind of dishes were made after Chinese K...
Category
17th Century Dutch Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,719 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique 19th century Dutch Delft Earthenware Plate Delftware Porceleine Klauw
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Description
Nice Dutch Delft blue plate with nice decoration Porceleyne Claeuw Delft - 1658=1840
In 19th with Willem III as a child
18th century.
Diameter: 232 cm.
Condition: Good
...
Category
17th Century Dutch Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Antique Ming Period Kosometsuke Poem Go Players Cricket Box Chinese Porcelain
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Excited and really happy to share this box. Incense or Cricket Box
In the pictures you will see a very nice Cricket box / Incense box with Poem. Typical Literati taste for Scholars ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Porcelain 17C Porcelain Ming Wanli Kraak Lotus Flowers Pond
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Description
Rare and nicely decorated dish on footring, spreading sides circular rim. Ca 1590-1620.
With a central scene of a Lotus pond, the sides with anhua/moulded decoration of...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
A Chinese blue and white porcelain Dish of beautiful shape and design. With a st
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A Chinese blue and white porcelain Dish of beautiful shape and design. With a stunning waterfall scene.
Early 17th century, marked at base.
Condition
kintsugi restored spot at rima...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Top Quality Wanli Antique Ming Period Chinese Porcelain Kraak Plate Deers
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely potted and painted kraak plate of a desirable cobalt blue! Stunning piece with beautiful scene of deers in a landscape.
Absolute top Quality kraak ware
Condition
1 fir...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,761 Sale Price
20% Off
Reference Chinese Porcelain Book - Kraak Porcelain: A Moment in the History o
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Maura Rinaldi Kraak Porcelain: A Moment in the History of Trade
98 colour and black and white plates, maps and drawings, bibliography and index. Foreword by Dr. Christian J.A. Jorg,...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Kosometsuke 17C Chinese Porcelain Ming Period Kaiseki Dish Tianqi / Chongzhen
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Sharing with you this lovely and unusual Chinese porcelain Kaiseki dish from the late Ming period, Tianqi/Chongzhen period most. Jingdezhen made for the Japanese market.
Origin: C...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Antique Chinese 17th Century Blue White Shunzhi / Kangxi Lotus Pond Porcelain
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely and rare decorated plate. Transitional / Early Qing, late 17th century.
Decorated with lotus pond
Condition
1 line, 2 small glaze line to rim (1 only visible out...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,435 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain Dish ca 1600-1640 Shell Shape Calligraphy Kosometsuke
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
This is a very nice antique Chinese porcelain dish, dating back to the early 17th century and made for the Japanese market, Kosometsuke. The dish features a beautiful underglaze blue...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$5,977 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain Hatcher Cargo Kraak Ghendi porcelain South China
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Sharing with you this very nicely decorated kraak Ghendi with a geometrical decoration. The piece was part of the Hatcher Collection. Auctioned by Christies Amsterdam in 1984. It is in very good condition.
The Hatcher Junk...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$3,485 Sale Price
20% Off
Large Cobalt Blue Serving Hot Water charger Chinese porcelain Arch of Noah
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Ready for dinner guys?
We would like to describe this piece as a hot water serving charger. We all know the hot water dishes but a piece of this size is quite unique, even though ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$6,360 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Ming/Transitional Chinese Porcelain Plate, European House, Rare Piece
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
I really found something intriguing. This plate decorated with what are often seen as European houses. Something seen on Transitional Kraak plates and bowls. I borrowed a few picture...
Category
16th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$4,789 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Wanli Ming Chinese Porcelain Kraak Klapmuts. Top Quality DEER
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely potted and painted kraak Klapmuts of a desirable quality. Stunning piece with beautiful and classical scene.
Absolute top Quality kraak ware
Condition
Minimal frittin...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,527 Sale Price
20% Off
Chinese 17th Century Porcelain Ming Transitional China Plate Zhangzhou Verte
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated plate. Ming period. South Chinese Ming Zhangzhou Swatow. Three friends of winter with birds
21-10-19-1-8
Three friends of winter with birds
...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,395 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Taste Kosometsuke Tianqi/Chongzhen Dish Porcelain Mi
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated plate. Late Ming. Traders and travellers in a landscape. An extraordinary border pattern. Very rare type of plate.
C...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,724 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese 16C Sancai Biscuit Green and Yellow Ghendi porcelain/earthenware
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
This is a small Ming dynasty moulded sancai funerary covered box with ribbed sides. On top of the covered box, it has a moulded design of flowers. It has a low footrim with a mildly ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,186 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Ming Period Xieyi Kosometsuke Landscape Chinese Porcelain Kaiseki Dish
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely potted and painted blue and white Kosometsuke Kaiseki dish plate of a desirable cobalt blue!
Stunning piece with design of a landscape in the style of the yuan painter ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$7,797 Sale Price
20% Off
Leaf Shaped Kosometsuke Antique Chinese Porcelain 17c Ming Dynasty serving dish
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Sharing with you this beautiful leaf shaped serving dish on four feet in blue and white.
Visible is a typically painted scene for this period. Mountain landscape with a house in the ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$5,977 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain Ming Wanli / Tianqi Playing Go Landscape Plate
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
15-7-19-1-2
Typical late Ming landscape dish. A very nice example!
Condition
Overall condition A (Very good) rimfritting, filled chip and 2 hairlines. Size 160 mm
Period...
Category
16th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,682 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain Late Ming or Transitional Plate Fisherman Turtle
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A Blue & White Ko-sometsuke plate with a Fisherman trying to catch a turtle. very unusual Ko-Sometsuke plate! Catching a Turttle which was well known to live for a very long time, ha...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$5,268 Sale Price
20% Off
Pair of 2 Antique Japanese Ming Style Porcelain Ghendis Arita Kraak, Ca 1670
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Sharing with you this very nice edo period, 1670-1680 examples. With a landscape scene. The rim beautifully painted. The base is blank.
Unmarked at base
Arita ware, also known as A...
Category
17th Century Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$3,275 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Antique Ming Period Arabesque Chinese Porcelain Dish Sacred Mushroom
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely potted and painted blue and white Kosometsuke plate of a desirable cobalt blue! Stunning piece with design of Turkish style Arabesque pattern and central a Lingzhi Fung...
Category
17th Century Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$3,539 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Ming Period Fish and Shrimp Kosometsuke Chinese Porcelain Kaiseki Dish
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely potted and painted blue and white Kosometsuke Kaiseki dish plate of a desirable cobalt blue!
Stunning piece with design of fish shrimp and seaweed.
Condition
Some frit...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$7,797 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain 17th Century Late Ming Chinese Japanese Taste Plate
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated plate with a scene flowers. Very rare and very modern design. Domestic market or Japanese market from Jingdezhen. Late Ming Wanli or Tianqi. Top Quality
28...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$7,665 Sale Price
20% Off
Ming Period Antique Arabesque Chinese Porcelain Dish Sacred Mushroom
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely potted and painted blue and white Kosometsuke plate of a desirable cobalt blue! Stunning piece with design of Turkish style Arabesque pattern and central a Lingzhi Fung...
Category
17th Century Asian Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,181 Sale Price
20% Off
Catalog Gerard Hawthorn Oriental Art Chinese Art Porcelain Bronze Statue, 17/18c
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Hawthorn oriental art catalogue. Great research catalog.
Additional information:
Material: Paper
Type: Statues
Region of Origin: China
Period: 17th century, 18th century
China Dynas...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Paper
Antique 16C Chinese Porcelain Phoenix Fenghuang Dish Cloud Motif Marked
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated Plate, 4th quarter 16th century.
Small dish on footring, wide flat rim. Decorated in underglaze blue with a striding phoenix in schematically rendered landscape with a cloud motif. The sides and rim are undecorated. On the base a mark in seal script, possibly shou (long life)
Pictured in:
A Selection from the Collection of Oriental Ceramics...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,203 Sale Price
20% Off
Antiquer 17th C Dehua Blanc de Chine Whistles European figure and Cat Dutchman
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A Shunzhi or Kangxi Blanc de Chine Porcelain European figure in sitting position. Its also a whistle.
Blanc de Chine Statues like these were made in the kilns of Dehua in Fujian pro...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,569 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Ming Period Xieyi Yuan Poem Landscape Chinese Porcelain Kaiseki Dish
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely potted and painted blue and white Kosometsuke Kaiseki dish plate of a desirable cobalt blue! Stunning piece with design of a landscape in the style of the yuan painter ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$8,468 Sale Price
20% Off
30.4cm Kosometsuke Antique Chinese Porcelain Dish 17 C Ming Literatus Children
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Condition
1 restuck piece with a line and with some paint of the repainting remaining. Lower part of the restuck piece is with kintsugi. Some fritting. Size 303x36mm diameterxhigh
...
Category
16th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,778 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese 17c Kosometsuke Tianqi/Chongzhen Porcelain Boys in Lands
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated plate. Late Ming.
Condition:
2 line and rimfritting/mushikui. Size: 146 x 30mm
Period:
17th century transitional (1620-1661).
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,676 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain Kosometsuke Ladies in Meeting Plate Marked, 17th C
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated kosometsuke plate with an unusual scene of 4 Ladies in a garden, seems like they have a meeting. A pot with a plant in the middle lower part of the scene and ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$4,789 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain Late Ming or Transitional Plate Landscape
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A Blue & White Ko-sometsuke plate with a landscape scene
Additional information:
Material: Porcelain & Pottery
Region of Origin: China
Period: 17th century Ming (1368 - 1620)
Age: ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$958 Sale Price
20% Off
Period Chinese Porcelain Dish Charger Deer and Crane Antique Marked Ming, 16 C
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Large and very nice Blue and White Charger/Dish from the Ming Period. Jiajing. Absolute cool item marked Ming
Additional information:
Material: Porcelain
Period: 17th century Qing (...
Category
17th Century Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,052 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain 17th C Kosometsuke Literati City Kosometsuke
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Description
A very nicely decorated kosometsuke plate with a rare scene of a scholar and attendant reaching a city. The lower boats shows some fishermen in boats and waves. The border has fans and geometric designs. Underglaze blue enamels.
Keeping save Box included
Symbolism
A traveller in a...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,681 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Porcelain Ming Transitional China Plate Zhangzhou Verte
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Very nicely decorated plate. Ming period. South Chinese Ming ZHangzhou Swatow. Scene of boat on a sea
22-10-19-1-1
Condition
Overall condition; Rimfritting, ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,820 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Wanli / Tianqi Kosometsuke Plate 1600-1644 Porcelain Ming Monk
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Lovely plate great scene of a monk
Marked at base.
Condition
1 line to rim and some rimfritting/mushikui. 2 firing flaws in base, 1 next to rim and 1 in circle. Size: 188 x 23...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,874 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese 17th Century Porcelain Ming/Transitional Plate Boys with Bird
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated plate.
A late Ming Ko-Sometsuke porcelain dish, Wanli or Tianqi period, 1600-1627.
This Kaiseki blue and white porcelain serving dish is decorated with two ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$3,162 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Meiji Period 19 / 20C Japanese Porcelain Swan/Geese Charger Arita
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Haring with you this very nice piece with what seems to be 2 flying swans. They could also be Geese.
Unmarked at base.
Condition
Perfect, just some frits to base rim. Size: 37...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,203 Sale Price
20% Off
Enamel Bronze Mask Censer in the Shape of a Bell Bird, Japan, Edo or Meiji
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A tripod polychrome cloisonné incense burner, decorated with characters and masks. Unmarked, Japan, 19th century. Provenance: collection Nieuwenhove.
Condition
Overall ...
Category
19th Century Japanese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Bronze
$1,916 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese 17th Century Kosometsuke Tianqi/Chongzhen Dish Porcelain Playing
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated plate. Late Ming. Boys playing
For similar examples of this listing see:
S. Marchant & Son (2008). Ming Porcelain for the Japanese Market: ko-sometsuke ...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,724 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Chinese Taste Kosometsuke Tianqi/Chongzhen Dish Porcelain Go players
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nicely decorated plate. Late Ming. Go players in a mountain landscape under a palm tree and next to a pavillion. Dish on high foot.
For similar examples of this listing see...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$1,724 Sale Price
20% Off
Japanese sweetmeat set of Kosometsuke dishes. Vintage/modern copy after
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Sharing with you this very nice sweetmeat set of Kosometsuke dishes. Japanese vintage/modern copy after Chinese ming example.
All with stamp mark to the base.
Pictures of the origi...
Category
20th Century Japanese Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$2,240 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Ming Period Chinese Porcelain River Landscape Dish Kosometsuke Market
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Sharing new arrival. An amazing Blue and white porcelain dish, Kosometsuke for the Japanese Market. Very interesting.
China, Ming dynasty.
Decorated in the centre with a river lan...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Porcelain Serving Dish Ming Dynasty, 17th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Beautiful serving dish in blue and white with central a reverse decorated floral lotus scene, the walls with branches and the border with geometric design.
The base has a six charact...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Price Upon Request
Ming furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Ming 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, tables, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, ceramic and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Ming 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 Century Furniture, George Zee, Broyhill, and Baker Furniture 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 furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $195 and tops out at $690,000 while the average work can sell for $2,941.
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