For decades, Oriental Furniture has held so much appeal for Westerners and people of Asian descent. Of course, the term “Oriental Furniture” encompasses multiple styles. It can include Chinese Furniture, Japanese furniture and other adaptations. Typically, this style furniture features lacquer finishes, burled woods and unique Eastern-inspired shapes.
However, many vintage furniture brands attempted to put their own spin on Asian Furniture. Some took the Chinoiserie style and applied it to more Western designs. Others attempted to create fusion styles. So for instance, you may find Colonial Style pieces with Chinoiserie painted designs.
Finally, some furniture brands attempted to make direct reproductions of Asian antiques, and in doing so, sought more authentic Asian styles.
In this way, people have many choices when it comes to finding used oriental furniture. So, this is our list for the best brands to look for when it comes to this style!
If you are looking for the best oriental furniture for sale near me, check out this list to give you a good start. Obviously, if you are looking for Asian furniture online, use these top brands as keywords in your search:
- Henredon
- Baker Furniture
- Drexel Furniture
- Century Furniture
- Jasper Cabinet Company
- Ethan Allen Furniture
- Bernhardt Furniture
1. Henredon Asian Furniture
Frankly, Henredon Furniture is mentioned often on Vintage furniture guide. This North Carolina company made a plethora of high quality furniture in many styles. Often, their unique take on certain styles carried the mid to upper market of high end furniture stores. Of course, their oriental furniture is no exception.
Henredon Asian Furniture had a huge following and found great popularity in the 1970s through the mid 1990s. Henredon made a couple of great lines that traded on the unique styles of Oriental furniture.
For instance, you may like the clean lines and brass hardware of the Henredon Scene One Line. This particular line of furniture features burl walnut veneers and rectangular brass hinges and hardware.
Also, you may like the Henredon Folio 16 line. As advertised in a mid 1980s Henredon Catalog, Folio 16 designs were adapted “from China’s rich artistic past.” These Asian chairs, cabinets and case pieces were “inspired by the finest furnishings of the Ming and Ch’ing dynasties.” Many times, the Folio 16 designs featured raised panels with floral and plant life designs. The Henredon Folio 16 vintage furniture has a nice mix of ying and yang.
2. Baker Furniture
Fine furniture company, Baker, also traded on the trend for Oriental furniture. Indeed, Baker Furniture made some beautiful painted and wood furniture featuring Asian motifs.
Baker’s attention to fine detail and quality makes their painted furniture especially stand out. In the early 1980s, this high end furniture company made exquisite hand painted cabinets, chairs, sideboards and chests in Oriental style.
So, for instance, you may find vintage oriental furniture by Baker still has quite a hefty price tag. Many of these pieces fell in the 6 figure price range.
Believe it or not, many of Baker used Furniture pieces, like those from the Stately Homes Collection, have been adapted from traditional 17th and 18th century antiques. So, Asian furniture often features an idealized version of Asian arts from the West. Pagodas, gardens and wildlife feature heavily in these rare pieces.
3. Drexel Asian Furniture
Drexel Asian Furniture, also sometimes called Drexel Heritage Asian Furniture remains a top choice for beautiful oriental style furniture.
Of course, during the 1960s through 1990s, Drexel made several iterations of Asian chairs, Asian china cabinets, Asian secretary desks and beautiful Asian accent furniture for the American market.
Most famous of these lines was the black lacquer case pieces by Drexel. Of course, these lovely pieces typically had a black lacquer background with gold, green and pink scenes on them.
To automate the manufacturing process, many of the general designs were transferred to Drexel oriental cabinets with rubbings and stencils. Then, artisans would fill in the designs with fine art brushes loaded with gold paint. Finally, these pieces were sealed with high grade furniture lacquer.
Amazingly, many of Drexel Heritage Asian cabinets also feature real gold leaf in the backing. Of course, this gives Drexel Asian cabinets a beautiful and rich look, especially with the above cabinet lighting.
However, Drexel Asian furniture did not just feature the beautiful outer decorations. It also demonstrated beautiful quality craftsmanship. Dovetailed drawers, solid wood dust covers and backs and solid brass hardware attest to this quality.
4. Century Furniture Asian Furniture
Century Furniture Company offered a few very unique Asian furniture lines. One of their most famous Oriental furniture styles was their line known as “Chin Hua” Furniture.
Century Chin Hua Furniture appeared on the market first in the late 1970s. This line of furniture has a very characteristic look.
Firstly, Chin Hua Furniture features a very unique combination of black lacquer finishes coupled with blond burl wood veneers.
So, for instance, in Century Furniture Chin Hua cabinets, you will find that the sides and body of the piece feature the solid black finish. However, the cabinet doors and glass doors feature the beautiful grain of walnut, maple or ziricote finished in a yellow-orange color.
Obviously, this high contrast makes for a striking and irresistible combination.
Additionally, Century Furniture Oriental pieces typically have very bold and jewelry-like hardware. So, you may find that a brass handle features a geometric back-plate. Or you may find that it has chunky brass rings as the drawer pulls.
Of course, as with most Century Furniture, you will find high attention to craftsmanship couples with these striking designs. Most Century Furniture features solid wood drawer construction. Indeed, many times drawers feature solid oak on the interior. Additionally, you will find dovetailed drawers and solid wood shelves and backs. (This also makes Century Asian furniture extremely heavy, so if you are moving, enlist the help of a strong friend!)
5. Jasper Cabinet Company
Jasper Cabinet Company from Jasper, Indiana is a lesser known furniture company on our list. No doubt, though, Jasper Cabinet Oriental Furniture is a great choice if you love Asian style furniture!
Jasper Company was mostly known for accent furniture pieces, such as desks and small tables. However, their Oriental style desks, china cabinets and curios deserve attention.
Like Drexel Furniture Company, Jasper used a variety of techniques to mass produce Chinoiserie painted furniture. So, for instance, you will find that mostly the intricate designs and scenes on Jasper cabinets and secretaries are mostly the same. However, artisans painted the designs by hand, so you will still see variation in the decorations.
Also, like Drexel Furniture, most of the Asian furniture by Jasper is on a black lacquer background. However, occasionally, you will see red lacquer furniture by Jasper.
6. Ethan Allen Asian Furniture
Although principally known for their traditional, French designs and Colonial styles, Ethan Allen also dabbled in Oriental furniture. As Oriental furniture found a large market in the 1970s and 1980s, Ethan Allen capitalized on the trend, by offering well priced Asian pieces.
Sometimes, Ethan Allen combined French styles with Asian motifs for a distinct Chinoiserie look. So, you may find vintage Ethan Allen servers in a curvy French style, with a painted Asian scene.
However, you will also find used Ethan Allen furniture in a strictly Asian flair. So, you may find geometric fretwork on the corners and undersides of tables, servers or cabinets. Additionally, you can find spectacular unique brass hardware and corner pieces that are reminiscent of Asian antique furniture.
7. Bernhardt Asian Furniture
Bernhardt Asian Furniture offers a great option for consumers who love Asian Furniture. Also, Bernhardt Asian Furniture typically has a great look that differs from the other oriental furniture on our list.
For instance, common on Bernhardt Asian Furniture are chunky rounded legs. Also, Bernhardt Oriental furniture can have a top that overhangs the base. This pagoda shape has a very attractive look, especially when finished in the light cherry or maple finishes.
Additionally, Bernhardt Oriental Furniture can have really striking brass style hardware. The gleaming gold hardware and accent corner pieces on Bernhardt buffets and console tables really has a great look.
Finally, many Bernhardt Oriental Furniture has incised designs that are accented with paint. Indeed, some cabinet doors or accent coffee tables can feature delicate floral and bird images.
Used Oriental Furniture
Used Oriental Furniture offers the best of both worlds for designers, homeowners and people looking to bring an ethnic twist to their rooms. Of course, many high end furniture brands continue to sell incredible and unique hand painted, lacquer furniture with Asian motifs.
However, used Oriental furniture typically comes at a fraction of the cost of new Oriental Furniture. Additionally, these high end vintage brands offer unmistakable quality and high end materials. Of course, many of these brands used solid woods, fine decorative veneers like burl walnut and mahogany, and even gold leaf. And, most had artisans that painted details by hand.
So, when searching for used oriental furniture online, it is imperative to know the best brands to search for. These companies had a high reputation for quality and longevity. So, invest in quality Asian vintage furniture for your home.