Chinese Classical Furniture

Chinese Classical Furniture

Classical Chinese furniture has a timeless appeal that never goes out of style. Our signature range of traditional Chinese furniture is handcrafted from reclaimed elm or poplar wood, and includes reproductions from China's golden age as well as more contemporary designs inspired by the same period. The range includes oriental cabinets, beautifully crafted chairs, Chinese blanket chests and much more.

Low Kang Chest, Light Elm
€1.230,95

Low Chinese Kang Chest, Light Elm

TK14M

Ideal as a TV stand, our light elm low Kang chest has an open shelf for a DVD player or digital box (including a hole at the back for feeding wires...

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€1.230,95
Small Herbalist Chest, Warm Elm
€797,95

Small Herbalist Chest, Warm Elm

TK16N

Chinese herbalists used chests containing dozens of small drawers to hold their medicines for hundreds of years. This little warm elm chest is a mo...

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€797,95
Small Herbalist Chest, Black Lacquer
€797,95

Small Herbalist Chest, Black Lacquer

TK16D

This little black lacquer chest is a modern take on the old apothecary chest, smaller in size but with drawers made larger so that they are ideally...

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€797,95
Small Herbalist Chest, Light Elm
€797,95

Small Herbalist Chest, Light Elm

TK16M

Made from solid wood, our light elm herbalist chest has drawers that are all made with dovetail joints and a simple brass ring pull on the front. C...

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€797,95
Carved Panel, Warm Elm
€859,95

Carved Panel, Warm Elm

CSW05N

The random looking design of this warm elm, square wall panel is referred to by the Chinese as 'cracked ice' and is made up of individual mortised ...

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€859,95
Carved Panel, Black Lacquer
€859,95

Carved Panel, Black Lacquer

CSW05D

Referred to by the Chinese as 'cracked ice', the design of this black lacquer square wall panel is made up of randomly placed individual mortised p...

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€859,95
Southern Official's Chair, Warm Elm
€797,95

Southern Official's Chair, Warm Elm

CT01N

This style of chair appeared slightly later in China's history than the 'Yoke-Back' or 'Official's Hat' chair. The main development was that the to...

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€797,95
Southern Official's Chair, Black Lacquer
€797,95

Southern Official's Chair, Black Lacquer

CT01D

Our black lacquer chair has a rattan covered seat and curved backrest for comfort. The backrest has a scrolling dragon motif in carved relief, whil...

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€797,95
Three Drawer Kang Table, Warm Elm
€1.601,95

Three Drawer Kang Table, Warm Elm

CT13N

The Chinese did not use coffee tables in the sense that we know them but in colder parts of the country they would use low level tables placed on t...

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€1.601,95
Three Drawer Kang Table, Black Lacquer
€1.601,95

Three Drawer Kang Table, Black Lacquer

CT13D

This particular black lacquer table is larger than the original kang tables to make it more practical as a contemporary coffee table, but the simpl...

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€1.601,95
Scholar's Desk, Warm Elm
€1.230,95

Scholar's Desk, Warm Elm

CT14N

Tables like this warm elm version, simple in style with two or three drawers, were commonly used by Chinese scholars of the Qing dynasty. The 'hors...

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€1.230,95
Scholar's Desk, Black Lacquer
€1.230,95

Scholar's Desk, Black Lacquer

CT14D

Made from solid wood, our black lacquer desk works beautifully as a dressing table, as an elegant hall table or as a narrow desk with useful storag...

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€1.230,95
Scholar's Desk, Light Elm
€1.230,95

Scholar's Desk, Light Elm

CT14M

The 'horse hoof' shaped feet and curved aprons that stretch between each leg give our light elm desk a distinctive oriental feel but otherwise the ...

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€1.230,95
Carved Console Table, Warm Elm
€1.415,95

Carved Console Table, Warm Elm

CT19N

Great as a modern day console table with a beautiful lattice shelf at the bottom, this warm elm piece is a reproduction of desks that were common i...

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€1.415,95
Carved Console Table, Black Lacquer
€1.415,95

Carved Console Table, Black Lacquer

CT19D

The lovely carved lattice design of the low shelf, on our black lacquer console, harks back to earlier door and window panels in Chinese homes and ...

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€1.415,95
Carved Console Table, Light Elm
€1.415,95

Carved Console Table, Light Elm

CT19M

This stunning light elm piece is a reproduction of desks that were common in China during the later Qing dynasty, used by the scholarly classes in ...

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€1.415,95
Carved Side Table, Warm Elm
€673,95

Carved Side Table, Warm Elm

CT20N

This lovely little warm elm side table has exactly the same features as our carved console table, but sized to sit perfectly next to a sofa or a be...

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€673,95
Carved Side Table, Black Lacquer
€673,95

Carved Side Table, Black Lacquer

CT20D

The oriental look of our black lacquer side table is completed with the elegant 'horse hoof' feet. Though the proportions are slightly lower, the o...

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€673,95
Carved Side Table, Light Elm
€673,95

Carved Side Table, Light Elm

CT20M

With the same features as our carved console table, these lovely little side tables, like the light elm model above, are sized to sit perfectly nex...

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€673,95
Square Stool, Warm Elm
€550,95

Square Stool, Warm Elm

CT23N

Our warm elm version is a faithful reproduction of the classic design, and has a rattan top set within the seat. It works well for occasional seati...

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€550,95
Square Stool, Black Lacquer
€550,95

Square Stool, Black Lacquer

CT23D

Unlike in other Asian countries, where people continued to sit on the floor centuries later, the Chinese quickly developed higher level seating and...

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€550,95
Square Stool, Light Elm
€550,95

Square Stool, Light Elm

CT23M

Stools and higher level seating were in use throughout China from as early as the Tang dynasty over a thousand years ago, unlike in other Asian cou...

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€550,95
Folding Horseshoe Armchair, Warm Elm
€1.415,95

Folding Horseshoe Armchair, Warm Elm

CT15N

Simple folding stools were seen very early on in China's history - the first recorded stools being from the Han dynasty almost two thousand years a...

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€1.415,95
Folding Horseshoe Armchair, Indigo
€1.415,95

Folding Horseshoe Armchair, Indigo

CT15XX

Simple folding stools were seen very early on in China's history - the first recorded stools being from the Han dynasty almost two thousand years a...

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€1.415,95
Carved Panel - 'Courage', Warm Elm
€451,95

Carved Panel - 'Courage', Warm Elm

CSW06AN

Finished in warm elm this panel is designed to represent one of the 'Four Nobles', the central carving is made from camphor, a wood which is easy t...

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€451,95
Carved Panel - 'Courage' Black Lacquer
€451,95

Carved Panel - 'Courage' Black Lacquer

CSW06AD

Designed to represent one of the 'Four Nobles', this version is finished in our black lacquer, the central carving being made from camphor, a wood ...

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€451,95
Carved Panel - 'Purity', Warm Elm
€451,95

Carved Panel - 'Purity', Warm Elm

CSW06BN

This panel is finished in our warm elm and is designed to represent one of the 'Four Nobles', the central carving depicts orchids a symbol of purit...

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€451,95
Carved Panel - 'Purity', Black Lacquer
€451,95

Carved Panel - 'Purity', Black Lacquer

CSW06BD

The central carving of our black lacquer panel is made from camphor, a wood which is easy to carve, the design represents one of the 'Four Nobles',...

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€451,95
Carved Panel - 'Uprightness', Warm Elm
€451,95

Carved Panel - 'Uprightness', Warm Elm

CSW06CN

With a frame made from fir wood, our warm elm panel has a design that represents one of the 'Four Nobles', the central carving here depicts bamboo ...

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€451,95
Carved Panel - 'Uprightness', Black Lacquer
€451,95

Carved Panel - 'Uprightness', Black Lacquer

CSW06CD

The carving in the centre of our black lacquer panel depicts bamboo a symbol of uprightness and is made from camphor, a wood which is easy to carve...

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€451,95
Carved Panel - 'Humility', Warm Elm
€451,95

Carved Panel - 'Humility', Warm Elm

CSW06DN

Our solid wood panel, here finished in our warm elm is a representation of one of the 'Four Nobles', the carving set within the centre is surrounde...

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€451,95
Carved Panel - 'Humility', Black Lacquer
€451,95

Carved Panel - 'Humility', Black Lacquer

CSW06DD

Representing one of the 'Four Nobles', this particular panel, in our black lacquer finish, depicts chrysanthemums which symbolise humility. This ce...

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€451,95
Wall Mirror, Warm Elm
€488,95

Wall Mirror, Warm Elm

CSW07N

These lovely wall mirrors, here finished in our warm colour, have a bevelled frame in solid elm wood and bevelled glass. They include fittings on t...

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€488,95
Wall Mirror, Black Lacquer
€488,95

Wall Mirror, Black Lacquer

CSW07D

Finished in our black lacquer, this lovely wall mirror has bevelled glass and frame in solid elm wood. They include fittings on the back of the fra...

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€488,95
Wall Mirror, Light Elm
€315,95

Wall Mirror, Light Elm

CSW07M

Combine this lovely light elm mirror with our scholars desk to make a stunning dressing table set. Made from solid wood and having a bevelled frame...

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€315,95
Dressing Mirror, Warm Elm
€945,95

Dressing Mirror, Warm Elm

CSW08N

These large, chunky full length mirrors are designed to be stood against a wall, the model above being in our warm elm finish. The frames are in so...

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€945,95

The history of Chinese Classical Furniture

Classical Chinese furniture refers to a style and an aesthetic taste, of restraint, balance and grandeur, rather than to a particular period. Plain hardwoods, like the reclaimed woods we use for these reproductions, were always accorded high esteem by Chinese craftsmen from the Qing dynasties onwards. Trade had recently opened, and tropical hardwoods from South-East Asia were beginning to be imported. It was these strong hardwoods which allowed the craftsmen to create austere, slender legged chairs and tables which showed off the beauty of the precious wood, alongside the lacquered furniture which was equally prized. Here at Shimu, we’re very happy to be continuing the tradition of Chinese classical furniture, and to be bringing you these beautiful pieces of furniture to show off in your home.

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