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.

End Cabinet, Warm Elm
£495.00

Small Chinese Cabinet, Warm Elm

CW09N

This warm elm end cabinet is based on the solid framed, simply styled pieces that were commonly used in northern China for centuries. Ours are slig...

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£495.00
End Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£495.00

End Cabinet, Black Lacquer

CW09D

Based on the simple styled, solid framed pieces that were common in northern China for centuries. This black lacquer version of our end cabinet is ...

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£495.00
End Cabinet, Light Elm
£495.00

End Cabinet, Light Elm

CW09M

Our lovely light elm end cabinets, although smaller and more practical for modern day use, are based on the original solid framed, simple styled pi...

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£495.00
Ladies Cabinet, Warm Elm
£995.00

Ladies Cabinet, Warm Elm

CT22N

Popular during the Qing dynasty, narrow tables like this warm version with drawers and doors were normally used in a lady's sleeping quarters as a ...

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£995.00
Ladies Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£995.00

Ladies Cabinet, Black Lacquer

CT22D

Tables like our black lacquer ladies cabinet were made popular during the Qing dynasty, similar style consoles with drawers and doors were normally...

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£995.00
Chinese Circular Display Shelf, Warm Elm
£2,345.00

Chinese Circular Display Shelf, Warm Elm

TK19N

Finished in our warm elm, this iconic Chinese display shelf comes in two parts that easily fit together with mortice and tenon joints, so they can ...

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£2,345.00
Chinese Circular Display Shelf, Black Lacquer
£2,345.00

Chinese Circular Display Shelf, Black Lacquer

TK19D

Our black lacquer display shelf is made in a typical Chinese design. Great for books or for ornaments, they also double as unusual and beautiful ro...

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£2,345.00
Hundred Eye' Chest, Warm Elm
£1,125.00

'Hundred Eye' Chest, Warm Elm

TK04N

Medicine chests with multiple drawers for holding herbs and other remedies, were used throughout China by apothecaries and pharmacists. The larger ...

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£1,125.00
Hundred Eye' Chest, Black Lacquer
£1,125.00

'Hundred Eye' Chest, Black Lacquer

TK04D

This modern day black lacquer version has larger drawers for more practical use, each one being ideal to hold CDs and DVDs. Multi drawer medicine c...

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£1,125.00
Hundred Eye' Chest, Light Elm
£1,125.00

'Hundred Eye' Chest, Light Elm

TK04M

Our light elm model really enhances the grain of the wood. With larger drawers than original chests for a more practical modern day use, each of th...

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£1,125.00
Book Cabinet, Warm Elm
£1,395.00

Book Cabinet, Warm Elm

CW18N

This particular model is finished in our warm elm colour. The Chinese refer to cabinets like this, with open shelves above a closed section, as dis...

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£1,395.00
Book Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£1,395.00

Book Cabinet, Black Lacquer

CW18D

During the Ming and Qing dynasties it was more common for there to be a single open shelf, often with a carved frame around it, with a large cabine...

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£1,395.00
Book Cabinet, Light Elm
£1,395.00

Book Cabinet, Light Elm

CW18M

With the emphasis on the beautiful grain of the elm wood, our light elm book cabinet would be a stunning addition to any home. Referred to by the C...

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£1,395.00
Ming Console Table, Warm Elm
£865.00

Ming Console Table, Warm Elm

CT07N

This beautifully proportioned narrow console table in warm elm will add oriental chic to any room. The elegant 'horse hoof' feet and S-shape suppor...

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£865.00
Ming Console Table, Black Lacquer
£865.00

Ming Console Table, Black Lacquer

CT07D

Our black lacquer console table has a simplistic oriental style. With typical features of furniture from China's Ming dynasty, for example the eleg...

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£865.00
Display Cabinet, Warm Elm
£1,595.00

Display Cabinet, Warm Elm

CW19N

Finished in warm elm and based on a type of cabinet used by the Chinese to store food, we have updated our version to add bevelled glass panels in ...

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£1,595.00
Display Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£1,595.00

Display Chinese Cabinet, Black Lacquer

CW19D

The style of our black lacquer display Chinese cabinet, is in the classic 'square cornered' design of most Chinese cabinets, with circular brass ha...

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£1,595.00
Carved Lattice Screen, Warm Elm
£1,945.00

Carved Lattice Screen, Warm Elm

CSR01N

This simple, beautifully crafted lattice screen in warm elm finish is made up of four hinged panels. Each one is created with mortise and tenon joi...

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£1,945.00
Carved Lattice Screen, Black Lacquer
£1,945.00

Carved Lattice Screen, Black Lacquer

CSR01D

Our black lacquer lattice screen works perfectly as a room divider in a living room or just as a statement piece in the corner of a room. This simp...

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£1,945.00
Carved Ming Screen, Warm Elm
£1,945.00

Carved Ming Screen, Warm Elm

CSR02N

The lattice design in the upper panels of this beautiful warm elm screen, made up of individual pieces of wood fitted together with mortis and teno...

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£1,945.00
Carved Ming Screen, Black Lacquer
£1,945.00

Carved Ming Screen, Black Lacquer

CSR02D

Made up of individual pieces of wood fitted together using traditional mortis and tenon joints, the lattice design in the upper panels of this beau...

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£1,945.00
Ming Bookshelf, Warm Elm
£1,145.00

Ming Bookshelf, Warm Elm

TK03N

Bookshelves like our warm elm version were used by the Chinese scholarly classes, but unlike in the west, they preferred to stack books on the shel...

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£1,145.00
Ming Bookshelf, Black Lacquer
£1,145.00

Ming Bookshelf, Black Lacquer

TK03D

Made from solid elm, our black lacquer bookshelf is designed so the middle shelf houses two shallow drawers with brass handles for extra storage. B...

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£1,145.00
Apothecary's Cabinet, Warm Elm
£1,445.00

Apothecary's Cabinet, Warm Elm

TK09N

Chinese herbalists have used chests, like our warm elm version, with multiple drawers, for centuries, to hold the herbs and remedies of their prof...

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£1,445.00
Apothecary's Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£1,445.00

Apothecary's Cabinet, Black Lacquer

TK09D

Our black lacquer apothecary cabinet is a slightly more modern interpretation of the classic medicine chest, with a cabinet section at the bottom a...

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£1,445.00
Apothecary's Cabinet, Light Elm
£1,445.00

Apothecary's Cabinet, Light Elm

TK09M

With a cabinet section at the bottom and 12 drawers above, our light elm apothecary cabinet is a slightly more modern interpretation of the classic...

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£1,445.00
Altar Table, Warm Elm
£895.00

Altar Table, Warm Elm

CT06N

Chinese altar tables, like our warm elm version seen here, were actually used not just for holding offerings to ancestors, but also as more general...

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£895.00
Altar Table, Black Lacquer
£895.00

Altar Table, Black Lacquer

CT06D

Our black lacquer version is smaller than most original altar tables, making it more practical in a modern western home, but is in a classic design...

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£895.00
Scroll Altar Table, Warm Elm
£995.00

Scroll Altar Table, Warm Elm

CT08N

Simple and almost contemporary in looks, this style of table, here in our warm elm finish, actually dates from China's Ming dynasty, although the r...

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£995.00
Scroll Altar Table, Black Lacquer
£995.00

Scroll Altar Table, Black Lacquer

CT08D

Tables like our black lacquer model were used to hold offerings to ancestors but also for more general decorative items. They were usually placed a...

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£995.00
Apothecary's Chest, Warm Elm
£745.00

Apothecary's Chest, Warm Elm

TK05N

This little warm elm multi-drawer chest provides a beautiful way to store a CD or DVD collection. Each of its eight drawers can hold up 25 CDs and ...

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£745.00
Apothecary's Chest, Black Lacquer
£745.00

Apothecary's Chest, Black Lacquer

TK05D

Our black lacquer chest is the perfect height for use as a stand for a TV or stereo equipment. This little multi-drawer chest provides a beautiful ...

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£745.00
Apothecary's Chest, Light Elm
£745.00

Apothecary's Chest, Light Elm

TK05M

Made from reclaimed elm wood, this model comes in our light finish, each of the drawers feature proper dovetail joints and brass ring pull handles....

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£745.00
Ming Two Drawer Chest, Warm Elm
£445.00

Ming Two Drawer Chest, Warm Elm

TK08N

This little warm elm bedside chest is our own design rather than a reproduction of an old Chinese piece, but the construction and overall look are ...

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£445.00
Ming Two Drawer Chest, Black Lacquer
£445.00

Ming Two Drawer Chest, Black Lacquer

TK08D

The construction and overall look of this black lacquer chest are in keeping with furniture from the Ming dynasty, it is our own design rather than...

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£445.00
Ming Two Drawer Chest, Light Elm
£445.00

Ming Two Drawer Chest, Light Elm

TK08M

The two drawers on this light elm chest are dovetail jointed and mounted on wooden runners, with the round backed brass handles adding oriental sty...

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£445.00
Tall Trunk, Warm Elm
£545.00

Tall Trunk, Warm Elm

TK17N

This warm elm, taller, narrower version of our very popular square trunk makes a great lamp table or vase stand. Like all of our blanket boxes, it ...

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£545.00
Tall Trunk, Black Lacquer
£545.00

Chinese Black Lacquer Trunk, Tall

TK17D

Made from solid reclaimed poplar wood, our black lacquer blanket boxes use proper dovetail joints and the distinctive circular brass hardware and r...

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£545.00
Tall Trunk, Light Elm
£545.00

Tall Trunk, Light Elm

TK17M

Like our very popular square trunk this light elm, taller, narrower version makes a great lamp table or vase stand, It's also great for linen or la...

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£545.00
Butterfly Drawers, Warm Elm
£545.00

Butterfly Drawers, Warm Elm

TK11N

The butterfly is a symbol of joy for the Chinese, and especially of happiness in a marriage. Traditionally it was used on decorative painted cabine...

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£545.00
Butterfly Drawers, Black Lacquer
£545.00

Chinese Butterfly Drawers, Black Lacquer

TK11D

The overall design of this black lacquer chest, with its slightly tapered outline, rounded frames and overhanging top, is inspired by the wonderful...

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£545.00
Butterfly Drawers, Light Elm
£545.00

Butterfly Drawers, Light Elm

TK11M

The three shallow drawers of this light elm chest are made with dovetail joints. The butterfly is a symbol of joy for the Chinese, and especially o...

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£545.00
Child's Yoke-Back Armchair, Warm Elm
£395.00

Child's Yoke-Back Armchair, Warm Elm

CT18N

This is a mini warm elm version of our classic yoke-back armchair, scaled down to suit the little ones in your life. It has the same curved headres...

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£395.00
Child's Yoke-Back Armchair, Black Lacquer
£395.00

Child's Yoke-Back Armchair, Black Lacquer

CT18D

This is a mini version of our classic black lacquer yoke-back armchair, with the same curved headrest and arms as the larger version, it is scaled ...

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£395.00
Small Herbalist Chest, Warm Elm
£645.00

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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£645.00
Small Herbalist Chest, Black Lacquer
£645.00

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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£645.00
Small Herbalist Chest, Light Elm
£645.00

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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£645.00
Carved Panel, Warm Elm
£695.00

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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£695.00

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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