British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Typically made of mahogany, teak or bamboo and featuring a range of fabrics and prints with botanical patterns, antique British Colonial furniture and decor varies as it involved local materials and techniques and spanned centuries of design styles.
As the British Empire expanded from the 16th to the 20th century, its conquest and control of colonies around the world bolstered its wealth through the extraction of resources. Including colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia, this spread of often violent subjugation imposed British culture, language and faith on Indigenous peoples. The design of homes was included in this expression of imperial power, with government officials, merchants and military officers creating homes mimicking the luxuries they were used to in England.
Local artisans were commissioned to replicate British designs, resulting in versions of Regency, Chippendale, Sheraton and other styles of furniture being crafted from mahogany, rosewood, ebony and teakwood as opposed to beech and oak, which were more common in Europe. Whereas the colonial furniture for the Portuguese and Dutch regularly had motifs of indigenous flora and fauna, the British tended to want more exact reproductions of their home country’s designs.
To escape the summer heat in places such as India and the Caribbean, British colonizers relocated to airy houses in the hills or plantations, leading to foldable chairs and collapsible desks in the style of military campaign furniture. Rather than upholstery as they might have in Europe, chairs and sofas in the British Colonial style had rattan and cane seating for these higher temperature climates. The contrast between the light textiles and the dark colors of the sturdy furniture became a defining aesthetic of British Colonial interiors.
Find a collection of antique British Colonial outdoor furniture, seating, bedroom furniture, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
Early 20th Century Vietnamese British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Britannia Standard Silver
Late 18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Wicker, Rattan
19th Century Scottish Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Leather, Oak
Early 1900s Thai Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Glass, Wood, Teak
20th Century Indian British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Brass
1920s Burmese Vintage British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Teak
20th Century Vietnamese British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Sandalwood, Bone
Early 18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Ebony
1910s Indian Vintage British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Silver
19th Century Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Sri Lankan Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Ebony
18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Teak
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Stone
Late 19th Century Indonesian Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Crocodile, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Brass
2010s American British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Burmese British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Bamboo, Lacquer
Early 20th Century Burmese British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Bamboo, Lacquer
2010s Australian British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Brass
2010s British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Coral
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Early 20th Century Chinese British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Reed
Early 1900s Indian Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Teak
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Paint, Canvas
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Canvas, Paint
20th Century American British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Faux Bamboo
20th Century Indian British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Central Asian British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
Early 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Indian British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Bone, Rosewood, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Teak
Mid-20th Century Indian British Colonial Asian Art and Furniture
Bone, Teak