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.
Chinese Peony Limestone Drum
Located in Chicago, IL
Drum-form stools such as this were traditionally used in gardens and outdoor pavilions where upper-class scholars read, wrote, gathered for discussion and, in general, developed thei...
Limestone
Milky White Glazed Cloud Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden seat reinvents the classic Chinese drum stool. Slip casted in low relief, the drum stool has s...
Ceramic
Pair of Chinese Porcelain Painted Garden Seats w/ Dragons & Exotic Birds, C 1820
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of Chinese porcelain painted and glazed foliage garden seats with decorative flanking dragons & exotic birds, upper & lower bead work, and decorative circular cut out fret works...
Porcelain, Paint, Pottery
Caramel Brown Glazed Prosperity Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
This sculptural, ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, a pattern of boss-head nails rings the top and bottom, imit...
Ceramic
Graphite Black Glazed Prosperity Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
This sculptural, ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, a pattern of boss-head nails rings the top and bottom, imit...
Ceramic
Graphite Black Glazed Prosperity Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
This sculptural, ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, a pattern of boss-head nails rings the top and bottom, imit...
Ceramic
Drip Glaze Blue & White Prosperity Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, a pattern of boss-head nails rings th...
Ceramic
Green Glazed Bamboo Grove Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, the six-sided stool is patterned with...
Ceramic
Chinese Koi fish Ceramic Glazed Ceramic Garden Stools, set of 4
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Original set of glazed art pottery garden furniture set featuring a set of 4 toadstool-shaped stools featuring a relief of koi fish along the base of each stool. Crafted with exquisi...
Ceramic
Vintage Chinoiserie Emerald Green Glazed Ceramic Drum Garden Stool or Pedestal
Located in Plainview, NY
A striking vintage chinoiserie ceramic garden stool featuring a rich emerald green crackle glaze and classic drum-form silhouette. The high-gloss finish enhances the depth and move...
Ceramic
$1,853Sale Price|34% Off
20th Century Chinese Export Porcelain Hexagonal Garden Seat
Located in Savannah, GA
Hexagonal shaped Chinese Nanking Style Export blue and white glazed porcelain garden seat. Features include a pierced top and sides, molded relief dots...
Porcelain
Chinese Glazed Elephant Garden Seat
Located in Chicago, IL
This vintage ceramic garden seat is sculpted in the shape of a regal elephant and glazed in high gloss shades of warm brown, golden yellow and pale blue. The elephant is adorned in b...
Ceramic
White Glazed Chinese Double Coin Garden Table
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusually proportioned ceramic table is a modern interpretation of the classic Chinese drum-form garden stool. Cloaked in a pristine, monochrome white glaze, the wide stool is d...
Ceramic
Blue Glazed Bamboo Pond Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden table reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, the six-sided stool is patterned wit...
Ceramic
White Glazed Chinese Double Coin Garden Table
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusually proportioned ceramic table is a modern interpretation of the classic Chinese drum-form garden stool. Cloaked in a pristine, monochrome white glaze, the wide stool is d...
Ceramic
Milky White Prosperity Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
This sculptural, ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, a pattern of boss-head nails rings the top and bottom, imit...
Ceramic
Caramel Brown Glazed Prosperity Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
This sculptural, ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, a pattern of boss-head nails rings the top and bottom, imit...
Ceramic
Milky White Glazed Cloud Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden seat reinvents the classic Chinese drum stool. Slip casted in low relief, the drum stool has s...
Ceramic
Pair of Drip Glaze Blue & White Cloud Garden Stools
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, these ceramic garden seats reinvent the classic Chinese drum stool. Slip casted in low relief, the small stools ha...
Ceramic
Periwinkle Glazed Peony Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden table reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, th...
Ceramic
Green Glazed Sancai Blossom Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, the stool has six sides, each decorat...
Ceramic
Green Glazed Bamboo Bundle Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, the six-sided stool is patterned with...
Ceramic
Green Glazed Sancai Blossom Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, the stool has six sides, each decorat...
Ceramic
Post-war Chinese Dragon Glazed Art Pottery Pedestal Garden Patio Dining Table
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Original post-war Chinese glazed art pottery garden pedestal dining table featuring a relief of chinese style dragon along the base. Crafted with exquisite detail, this table feature...
Pottery
$2,560 / set
Pair of Chinese Glazed Elephant Garden Seats
Located in Chicago, IL
These vintage ceramic garden seats are sculpted in the shape of regal elephants and glazed in high gloss shades of chocolate brown and cornflower blue. Each elephant is adorned in pr...
Ceramic
Jade Green Glazed Blossom Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden table reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, th...
Ceramic
Blue Glazed Bamboo Pond Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden table reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, the six-sided stool is patterned wit...
Ceramic
Drip Glaze Blue & White Prosperity Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, a pattern of boss-head nails rings th...
Ceramic
Jade Green Glazed Blossom Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculptural and drenched in color, this ceramic garden table reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, th...
Ceramic
Milky White Prosperity Garden Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
This sculptural, ceramic garden seat reinvents the barrel shape of classic Chinese drum stools. Slip casted in low relief, a pattern of boss-head nails rings the top and bottom, imit...
Ceramic
20th Century Chinese Porcelain Filigree Garden Seat in Beige and Aqua
Located in Queens, NY
Asian Chinese style (19/20th Cent) beige and aqua porcelain filigree garden seat / pedestal.
Porcelain
Chinese White Washed Carved Wooden Dog Garden Seat
Located in Queens, NY
Chinese whitewashed wooden garden seat carved to resemble a dog, holding a flat rectangular seat on its back.
Wood