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.

Altar Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£1,545.00

Altar Cabinet, Black Lacquer

CW15D

Our black lacquer altar cabinet tapers upwards to meet the curved apron at either end of the top surface, giving a sense of movement and fluidity. ...

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£1,545.00
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
Wave Trunk, Warm Elm
£945.00

Wave Trunk, Warm Elm

TK06N

The largest of our oriental trunks and chests, this elegant warm elm blanket box looks beautiful at the end of a bed and is strong enough to provid...

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£945.00
Wave Trunk, Black Lacquer
£945.00

Wave Trunk, Black Lacquer

TK06D

The subtly curved lid gives this black lacquer trunk its name as well as its graceful lines, while the large brass circular hardware adds some clas...

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£945.00
Wave Trunk, Light Elm
£945.00

Chinese Wave Trunk, Light Elm

TK06M

The wave trunk, here in light elm, is the largest in our oriental trunks and chests range. The subtly curved lid gives the trunk its name as well a...

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£945.00
Wave Trunk, Red Lacquer
£945.00

Wave Trunk, Red Lacquer

TK06R

Made from solid reclaimed elm with dovetail joints and finished on the inside in a dark wood stain our red lacquer wave trunk is the largest within...

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£945.00
Wave Trunk, Cream Lacquer
£945.00

Wave Trunk, Cream Lacquer

TK06C

This elegant blanket box, seen here in a lovely pale cream lacquer, looks beautiful at the end of a bed and is strong enough to provide additional ...

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£945.00
Large Chest of Drawers, Warm Elm
£1,245.00

Large Chest of Drawers, Warm Elm

TK15N

Finished in warm elm, this deeper, wider version of our Ming chest of drawers has a real sense of understated oriental style. Again it is a modern ...

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£1,245.00
Large Chest of Drawers, Black Lacquer
£1,245.00

Large Chest of Drawers, Black Lacquer

TK15D

Our black lacquer chest of drawers is a modern design - the Chinese did not use chests of drawers as we did in the west until quite recently - but ...

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£1,245.00
Large Chest of Drawers, Light Elm
£1,245.00

Large Chest of Drawers, Light Elm

TK15M

Made from solid reclaimed elm, our light finish really emphasizes the beautiful grain of the wood. This deeper, wider version of our Ming chest of ...

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£1,245.00
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
Double-Sided Cabinet, Warm Elm
£1,365.00

Double-Sided Cabinet, Warm Elm

CW07N

This warm elm cabinet shows the clean lines and pure design that was typical of Chinese furniture produced during the Ming dynasty. The style is si...

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£1,365.00
Double-Sided Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£1,365.00

Double-Sided Cabinet, Black Lacquer

CW07D

The style of this black lacquer cabinet is simple and beautifully balanced - the two sets of doors mounted on circular hinges and with the characte...

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£1,365.00
Double-Sided Cabinet, Light Elm
£1,365.00

Double-Sided Cabinet, Light Elm

CW07M

Ideal as a dining room sideboard or for bedroom or living room storage this cabinet in a light finish has a single removable shelf inside each sect...

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£1,365.00
Square Trunk, Warm Elm
£395.00

Chinese Trunk Square, Warm Elm

TK02N

Made from solid reclaimed elm wood this smaller, cube shaped Chinese blanket chest. Great as a side table next to a sofa, for storing towels in a b...

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£395.00
Square Trunk, Black Lacquer
£395.00

Chinese Black Lacquer Trunk, Square

TK02D

Like our other chests this black lacquer version is made from solid reclaimed elm wood using proper dovetail joints and is strong enough to sit on....

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£395.00
Square Trunk, Light Elm
£395.00

Square Trunk, Light Elm

TK02M

The handles on the sides and circular lock plate on the front of this light elm square trunk are in brass and give the chest its classic Chinese st...

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£395.00
Square Trunk, Red Lacquer
£395.00

Square Trunk, Red Lacquer

TK02R

Our red lacquer, cube shaped blanket chest is great for storing towels in a bathroom, as a side table next to a sofa or as a bedside table. Like ou...

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£395.00
Square Trunk, Cream Lacquer
£395.00

Square Trunk, Cream Lacquer

TK02C

With a modern cream lacquer finish this smaller, cube shaped blanket chest has brass handles and circular lock plate on the front giving the trunk ...

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£395.00
Low Scroll Table, Warm Elm
£1,195.00

Low Scroll Table, Warm Elm

CT03N

This beautifully simple low table in warm elm is based on the 'lute tables' used by the Chinese when seated on the floor to play musical instrument...

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£1,195.00
Low Scroll Table, Black Lacquer
£1,195.00

Low Scroll Table, Black Lacquer

CT03D

Great as a coffee table or as a stand for a television, this beautifully simple black lacquer low table is designed on the 'lute tables' used by th...

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£1,195.00
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
Tapered Cabinet, Warm Elm
£795.00

Chinese Tapered Cabinet, Warm Elm

CW08N

This style of Chinese cabinet, seen here in a warm finish, with the doors mounted on wooden dowels that fit directly into the frames and a slightly...

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£795.00
Tapered Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£795.00

Tapered Cabinet, Black Lacquer

CW08D

Cabinets like our black lacquer version were sometimes known as 'Scholars' Cabinets' as they were often used to store the books, papers or writing ...

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£795.00
Tapered Cabinet, Light Elm
£795.00

Tapered Cabinet, Light Elm

CW08M

With two removable shelves inside, our modern day light elm version is a great size to hold a stereo unit, or even in a bathroom for toiletries. Th...

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£795.00
Corner Cabinet, Warm Elm
£1,565.00

Corner Cabinet, Warm Elm

CW01N

This unusual corner cabinet, seen here in a warm elm finish, is a great way to make the best use of space in a room. The simple style and thick, so...

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£1,565.00
Corner Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£1,565.00

Corner Cabinet, Black Lacquer

CW01D

Handcrafted from reclaimed elm wood this black lacquer corner cabinet is a great way to make the best use of space in a room. Great in a dining roo...

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£1,565.00
Corner Cabinet, Light Elm
£1,565.00

Corner Cabinet, Light Elm

CW01M

Typical of furniture from northern China, our light elm corner cabinet would look great in a dining room as a drinks cabinet or for crockery, or in...

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£1,565.00
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
Ming Dining Table, Warm Elm
£1,645.00

Ming Dining Table, Warm Elm

CT10N

This chunky, solid wood dining table in a warm elm finish, is simple in style but with some features that are typical of Chinese Ming furniture. As...

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£1,645.00
Ming Dining Table, Black Lacquer
£1,645.00

Ming Dining Table, Black Lacquer

CT10D

With some features that are typical of Chinese Ming furniture, our black lacquer table has the usual 'horse hoof' feet and large 'S' shaped support...

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£1,645.00
Qing Oriental Dining Table, Warm Elm
£2,595.00

Qing Dining Table, Warm Elm

CT21N

Made from solid reclaimed elm wood, this gorgeous dining table is in our rich, warm elm finish to show the beautiful grain of the wood. The design ...

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£2,595.00
Qing Dining Table, Black Lacquer
£2,595.00

Qing Dining Table, Black Lacquer

CT21D

This stunning oriental dining table is made from solid poplar wood, finished in a sleek black lacquer. It is based on a design from China's Qing dy...

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£2,595.00
Yoke-Back Side Chair, Warm Elm
£425.00

Yoke-Back Side Chair, Warm Elm

CT11N

The name 'Yoke-Back' chair comes from the curved top rail seen on this timeless Chinese design and seen here finished in our warm elm. The style fi...

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£425.00
Yoke-Back Side Chair, Black Lacquer
£425.00

Yoke-Back Side Chair, Black Lacquer

CT11D

The seat of our black lacquer chair has a smoothed rattan inlay and works perfectly as a dining chair, with a desk or as occasional seating. Antiqu...

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£425.00
Yoke-Back Side Chair, Light Elm
£425.00

Yoke-Back Side Chair, Light Elm

CT11M

Since its early development this style of chair has changed very little through the centuries, with only slight modifications or regional variation...

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£425.00
Yoke-Back Armchair, Warm Elm
£495.00

Yoke-Back Armchair, Warm Elm

CT12N

Our warm elm armchair has the same beautiful curves and detail as our yoke-back side chair, including the dragon in carved relief on the curved bac...

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£495.00
Yoke-Back Armchair, Black Lacquer
£495.00

Yoke-Back Armchair, Black Lacquer

CT12D

Made from solid elm wood with a rattan seat our black lacquer armchairs would look great individually in a bedroom or living room as a statement pi...

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£495.00
Yoke-Back Armchair, Light Elm
£495.00

Yoke-Back Armchair, Light Elm

CT12M

Great individually in a bedroom or living room as a statement piece, or use them at the head of our dining tables. This light elm model is made fro...

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£495.00
Square Daybed Table, Warm Elm
£765.00

Square Daybed Table, Warm Elm

CT09N

This square shaped warm elm coffee table is based on original Chinese daybeds, but reduced in size to be more practical in a contemporary setting. ...

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£765.00
Square Daybed Table, Black Lacquer
£765.00

Square Daybed Table, Black Lacquer

CT09D

Daybeds like our black lacquer model were used in Chinese homes as seating during the day, often being moved around for different uses, and for sle...

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£765.00

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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