Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
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.
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Hardwood
19th Century Tibetan Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wrought Iron
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1880s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
1920s Indonesian Vintage Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Satinwood
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Elm
1950s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Hardwood
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Lacquer
1940s Chinese Vintage Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Soapstone
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century American Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
1850s French Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary French Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
1940s Vintage Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Aluminum
1930s French Vintage Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Leather
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak
1820s French Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
18th Century Spanish Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Pine
Late 18th Century Tibetan Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1820s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Elm
1890s Asian Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
1890s Asian Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Leather, Bamboo, Rattan, Glass
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Teak
1680s Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Elm
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Hardwood
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Elm
Late 20th Century Asian Chinese Export Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood