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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Style: Ming
Assembled Chinese Late Yuan / Early Ming Dynasty Bronze Garniture
Located in Austin, TX
Consisting of a large baluster vase (H: 14.25") with arrow handles and a near pair of smaller baluster vases with mythical beast loop handles.
The large vase, of yuhuchunping form, ...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Bronze
Antique Decorated Brown-Glazed Mataban Vase/Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique Brown-Glazed Mataban Jar Vase
This large antique Chinese urn has six small figural handles made of beasts and multiple dragons carv...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Stoneware
17th Century Pair of Painted Terra Cotta Chinese Gentlemen on Horses
Located in WEST PALM BEACH, FL
This is a unique pair of painted Chinese terra cotta gentlemen in native costumes on horseback, purported to be Ming.
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Clay
Pair of Horse Shoe Back Armchairs, China, circa 1900
Located in Belmont, MA
Pair of very interesting horse shoe back armchairs, China, circa 1900. Chinese elm with carved decorations on the back and front. Beautiful patina.
Category
1910s Chinese Vintage Ming Furniture
Materials
Elm
$2,480 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Chinese Miniature Mingqi Skirted Table
Located in Chicago, IL
This miniature ceramic table is from Shanxi Province and may have been made to represent Mingqi, a type of ancient Chinese burial good. Mingqi were plac...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
17th Century Ming Dynasty Chinese Zitan Libation Cup Silver Inlaid
Located in Brea, CA
17th century Ming dynasty Chinese Zitan libation cup silver inlaid, of deep oval form , the exterior carved in high relief and undercut around the sides and base with gnarled branche...
Category
Early 17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Wood
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
$1,720 Sale Price
20% Off
Chinese Imari-Style Orange and Blue Monumental Ceramic Urn
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese orange, white and blue monumental floor vase celebrating Japanese Imari ware in both palette and design, decorated with medallions of bloom...
Category
20th Century Chinese Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
16th Century Stone Pillar, Sianxi, China
Located in New York, NY
A carved stone pillar from Shanxi, China, circa 1560.
Mounted on a heptagonal wood base.
Category
16th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Stone
$5,281 Sale Price
35% 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
$2,198 Sale Price
20% Off
Qingbai ewer with slip decoration of two phoenix and lotus leaves, Yuan Dynasty
Located in seoul, KR
This small ewer is an exquisite example of Qingbai ware, known for its pale blue-tinged glaze. The vessel showcases the advanced ceramic techniques and artistic sophistication of the...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Hong Kong Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain
$2,950 Sale Price
50% 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
$1,720 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
$1,911 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
$1,720 Sale Price
20% Off
Chinese Stone Tabletop Altar, c. 1600
Located in Chicago, IL
This tabletop altar with scrolled edges, a scalloped apron, and turned legs from China's Shanxi province is a rare find. We conservatively estimate it to be late Ming dynasty (circa ...
Category
Early 17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Limestone
Pair of Small Jarlet with arabesque design, Late Ming Era(16-17th century)
Located in seoul, KR
Pair of jarlet from the late Ming dynasty cargo. An identical piece is included on page 145 of the Bin Thuan catalog titled 'The Age of Discovery: Asian Cera...
Category
16th Century Vietnamese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain
Chinese Stoneware Funeral Shrine Model and Figure Ming Dynasty
Located in Atlanta, GA
A stoneware shrine model with a figurine made in Ming dynasty (15th-17th century) in China and used as funeral burial objects. It is not known whether the two objects were originally associated, but they display similar glaze and oxidation and were in the same collection. The stoneware building is an architectural rendering of a typical ancestor shrine used at the time. It features a single room behind an elaborate front with double doors, under a multiple layered eaves. There are great architectural and decorative details throughout. The green glaze shows a wonderful silvery oxidation, an indication that the piece was buried in the ground. The side appears to be glazed lightly originally and some scrape marks and oxidized glaze residues remains. The back is unglazed. The figure is a typical tomb figurine...
Category
16th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Stoneware
Two Set of Molded Longquan Celadon 'Fu Shou' Vases, Ming Dynasty
Located in seoul, KR
One side of the vase showcases a panel with the Shou character at its center, symbolizing longevity, while the opposite side displays the Fu character, signifying luck. The neck of the vase is adorned with leaves.
Period: Yuan-Ming Dynasty (1271-1644)
Region: Longquan, China
Medium: Celadon
Type: Ewer
Provenance : Acquired in late 1990s from Hongkong
Reference
1) British Museum - Museum number 1931,1118.5
(Type : Closely related)
2) Christies NEW YORK 24–25 MAR 2022 - Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art - Lot 1105
(Price realised : 9,450 USD / Type : Related)
3) Sotheby's New York 19 March 2024 - Chinese Art - Lot 172
(Price range : 15,000 USD - 20,000 USD / Type : Related)
* Ming Dynasty Longquan Celadon
Longquan celadon from the Ming Dynasty typically exhibits a more robust and heavier stoneware body compared to its Song Dynasty predecessors. The Ming era saw an evolution in celadon glaze, achieving a wider spectrum of green hues, from olive to bluish-greens. Ming celadons...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Hong Kong Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Celadon
$3,893 Sale Price
35% Off
Black glazed bottle, Late Ming Era(16-17th century)
Located in seoul, KR
Black glazed bottle from the late Ming dynasty binh thuan cargo. An identical piece is included on page 146 of the Bin Thuan catalog titled 'The Age of Disco...
Category
16th Century Vietnamese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Pottery
$792 Sale Price
20% Off
Asian Cherry Wood Five Drawer Desk with Brass Hardware
Located in Locust Valley, NY
Asian style cherry five drawer desk with Asian style brass hardware.
Category
20th Century Ming Furniture
Materials
Cherry
Large Chinese Wooden Lacquered Box Decorated with Birds and Vegetal Motif
Located in Brea, CA
Chinese Art. A large wooden lacquered box decorated with birds and vegetal motif China, Ming dynasty, 17th century. 36cm x 6.5cm. Condition see more...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Lacquer
Rare Annamese Stoneware with underglaze Blue and Painted Green, 15-16th Century
Located in seoul, KR
This Annamese ceramic plate features a central floral motif rendered in underglaze blue, complemented by delicate green-painted leaves—an innovative characteristic of Annamese ceramics of the time. The rim is adorned with swirling cloud patterns and additional stylized floral designs.
The use of green overpainting, a distinctive element in Annamese ceramics, parallels similar examples documented in The Age of Discovery: Asian Ceramics Found Along the Maritime Silk Road, particularly on pages 59, 64, and 66 of the Annamese ship catalog. Such pieces were widely traded along the Maritime Silk Road, showcasing the rich cultural exchange between Vietnam and other regions.
Year/Period : 15th century
Region : North Vietnam, Vietnam
Type : Dish
Found/Acquired : Southeast Asia , South China Sea, Hoi An Ship
1) Butterfield Treasures Hoi An Hoard Auction Catalogs / San Francisco Butterfields 2000
2) Asian Ceramic Found along Maritime Silk Route / National Maritime Museum of Korea
* Vietnamese trade ceramics
Around the mid-14th century, Vietnam developed its ceramics production technology by producing blue and white porcelain, and began to export it overseas. During this period, China Ming Dynasty implemented a policy of lifting the ban from 1371 to 1657 and restricted foreign trade. This served as a good opportunity in the trade history of Vietnamese ceramics, and ceramic exports...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Vietnamese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Stoneware
$2,994 Sale Price
40% Off
Asian Shoulder Yolk Basket
Located in Dallas, TX
The Brendan Bass Estate Collection pays homage to the beauty of vintage and antique
pieces, each artfully concealing endless stories collected through the generations in which they ...
Category
20th Century Ming Furniture
Materials
Wicker
Vintage Brass Ming Style Table Lamp
Located in Dallas, TX
Vintage brass Ming style table lamp. The lamp is in good vintage condition with visible wear due to age and use. Lampshade in not included, circa 1980...
Category
Late 20th Century Ming Furniture
Materials
Brass
19th Century Asian Antique Leather Drum Stool Table
By Mingyu Xu Studio
Located in Burbank, CA
Beautiful antique drum for sale. From Asia, and well cared for. Has leather tops on both end, and still has the original rings on both ends. It's made of solid oak with a walnut fini...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Leather, Wood
Blonde Chinese Horseshoe Armchairs Grand Tutor Oriental Country Antique Thrones
Located in London, GB
A gorgeous rare pair of large blonde Chinese bent-arm Horseshoe-back armchairs in lovely antique condition. Almost certainly made in Shandong Province in 19th Century China, these ex...
Category
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Elm
Swatow Lidded Boxes in the shape of Waves and Flowers, Late Ming Era(16-17th c)
Located in seoul, KR
Small green-glazed boxes from the late Ming dynasty cargo. Identical pieces are included on page 142, 143 of the Bin Thuan catalog titled 'The Age of Discove...
Category
16th Century Vietnamese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery
Chinese Ming Dynasty Tomb Funeral Pottery Bed Model
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Chinese stoneware day bed model circa Ming dynasty (15th-17th century). The miniature models were traditionally made as burial offering objects. Pottery models of daily life necess...
Category
16th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Stoneware
Ming Dynasty Two Green Glazed Horses and Riders (15-16th Century)
Located in seoul, KR
Statues of Chinese horse riders, featuring glazes in green, are set on rectangular bases.
Period: Ming Dynasty
Medium: Green-glazed Pottery
Typ...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Hong Kong Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Pottery
Ming Dynasty Stone Guardian Statue, China, 17th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
Ming Dynasty stone foo dog from the revered Beijing Summer Palace, dating back to the end of the 17th century. This magnificent sculpture depicts a powerful lion, imbued with the myt...
Category
Late 17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Stone
Chinese Ming Dynasty Tomb Funeral Pottery Bed Model
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Chinese stoneware day bed model circa Ming dynasty (15th-17th century). The miniature models were traditionally made as burial offering objects. Pottery models of daily life necess...
Category
16th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Stoneware
Pair of Chinese Ming Dynasty Tomb Funeral Pottery Chair Models
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of Chinese stoneware horseshoe cross chairs circa Ming dynasty (15th-17th century). The miniature models were traditionally made as burial offeri...
Category
16th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Stoneware
Chinese Blue & White Swatow Ware Bowl, 17th C.
Located in Astoria, NY
Chinese Blue and White Swatow Ware Bowl, Ming Dynasty, 17th century, with hand-painted floral central medallion and geometric border. 2.75" H x 12.25" Diameter. Provenance: From an U...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
A Pair of Small 19 Century Chinese Patinated Bronze Statues of Gods or Deities
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A pair of exceptional small patinated bronze castings of a male and female Chinese Deities or Gods possibly representing Shouxing God of Longevity Immortality and Good Fortune, and G...
Category
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Bronze
Ming Goatskin Side Table in Brown
By Jimeco ltda
Located in Munich, Bavaria
This Ming side table has its unique look due to the brown white goatskin material. The curved legs as well as the detailed sides show the high level of craftsmanship of this unique p...
Category
20th Century Colombian Ming Furniture
Materials
Goatskin
$3,134 Sale Price
20% Off
Ming Dynasty Chinese Countryside Villa - TL Tested
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
Extremely rare Chinese model of a countryside villa for the royal courtiers and ministries of the Ming Dynasty -1368-1644 AD- showing three guest houses and one main entry. The villa is surrounded by a cuadrangular wall painted with bucolic scenes of garden, mountains, and bamboo forests. The roof tiles are glazed in green enamel with yellow finials – as the ones in the forbidden city – typical from the Ming epoch. Truly a museum piece. The doors swivel and are painted in ochre. State of preservation: impeccable mint condition with original paintings, all of the original parts are complete, except for one house which is missing part of the plinth (broken during transport). Each part has been tested for authenticity, consisting of eight separate TL tests...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Terracotta
Ming Dynasty Celadon Glazed Charger
Located in Stamford, CT
Ming dynasty celadon glazed charger having fluted interior with plain well center.
Category
Mid-17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Paintings By The Poet Yan Zhen RARE 3-Volume Set 2008
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Yan Zhen born 1930 is a Chinese poet, painter, and calligrapher, best known in China for his writing. Yan has published over 30 works of literature, including poetry, prose, and fict...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Ming Furniture
Materials
Paper
Chinese Blue and White and Raised Rose Pattern Octagonal Porcelain Vase
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese blue and white porcelain vase with an octagonal, faceted shape wrapped in blue bands featuring white iconography at the base and convex top, framing a center area that altern...
Category
20th Century Chinese Ming Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Vintage Asian Lacquered Ming Lounge Chairs - a Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Enhance your living space with this pair of Vintage Asian Lacquered Ming Lounge Chairs. These exquisite pieces, featuring elegant lacquered finishes and traditional Ming design, offe...
Category
Late 20th Century American Ming Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
$1,320 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Vintage Regency Tortoise Glass Lamps on Brass Ming Plinths - a Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A fabulous pair of vintage Boho table lamps. Chic tortoise shell blown glass on a brass Ming plinth. Acquired from a Ft Lauderdale estate
Category
Late 20th Century American Ming Furniture
Materials
Metal
$1,160 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Vintage Boho Gilt Stopped European Trope Character Bracket
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Accentuate your space with our Vintage Boho Gilt tipped European Trope Character Bracket. This unique piece features gilt detailing and characterful design, blending Bohemian charm w...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Ming Furniture
Materials
Resin, Wood
$1,560 Sale Price
20% Off
Walnut and Black Lacquer Chin Hua Console Table with Ming Style Legs
Located in Pasadena, TX
A beautiful Ming style console table, supporting a walnut top.
Classic elegant silhouette with a touch of flair at the top and at the feet. Sides have a very dark brown lacquer that...
Category
20th Century American Ming Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
Ming Dynasty Very Rare Wooden Bust of Lohan
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
Very serene depiction of a Lohan carved in wood, eroded with the pass of time. Lohan is the Chinese term, derived from the Sanskrit word Arhan, for a disciple or follower of Buddha w...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Antique Ming Furniture
Bronze Figure of a Seated Luohan, Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
Located in Torino, IT
Cast seated wearing a simple robe with his right hand resting on the hilt of a snake-entwined sword, the left hand held aloft, his face with meditative expre...
Category
Early 1600s Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Bronze
18th Century Black Lacquer Painting Table
Located in Santa Monica, CA
This painting table from Shanxi retains most of its original black lacquer finish. The table top is of standard mitered frame construction with a floating panel. Both ends of the t...
Category
18th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Hardwood
$3,200 Sale Price
20% Off
Set of Four Ming Musicians, 'Men'
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Ming musicians (men) 7.75h
A set of glazed musicians with drums and trumpets.
The base of the sculpture is 2 inches by 2.25 inches - the stand measures 3 inches by 3 inches.
Whi...
Category
17th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Pottery
$700 Sale Price / set
43% Off
Ming Dynasty Celestial Deity Head Carved in Stone - China '1368-1644 AD'
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
Wonderful celestial deity head with a jovial expression in stone with a finely engraved cap. It is mounted on a custom lucite base.
This piece is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, and Certificate of Expertise by Jean-Yves Nathan - Specialist in Asian Arts for the CEDEA (The European Confederation of Art Experts).
The Ming dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China – then known as the Empire of the Great Ming...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Stone
Chinese Elm Altar Large Console Table
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Chinese console table with hand carved spandrels on both side of the table.
A long elmwood altar or console table features side panels with carved, stylized ruyi motifs, a sacred fu...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Ming Furniture
Materials
Elm
$7,040 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.