gallery

ABOUT US

Dalian Gallery is a Finnish family-owned business founded by Antti and Hanna Wäre along with their friend Kyösti Koponen. Our story began in 2003, after spending five inspiring years in Beijing, China. During our time there, we developed a deep appreciation for the beauty, craftsmanship, and history of Chinese and Tibetan antique furniture. Initially, we acquired pieces solely for our own homes, but our passion soon grew into a vision to share these remarkable artifacts with others in Finland.

After extensive research and visiting numerous antique dealers to find the most reliable sources, we opened Dalian Gallery in Helsinki in April 2004. For over two decades, we have specialized in sourcing authentic Chinese, Tibetan, and Mongolian antique furniture, along with modern Chinese art, which we added to our collection as our business evolved.

Today, Dalian Gallery stands as a bridge between cultures, bringing the timeless elegance of Eastern artistry to the heart of Helsinki. We remain committed to offering our customers distinctive, high-quality pieces that reflect both tradition and beauty. 

ORIGIN OF ITEMS

Most of the items in the Chinese Collection originate from the northern inland province of Shanxi and represent the finest items amongst traditional furniture. The heartland of China's ancient cultural heritage, it is also the region where much of China's ancient architecture has been preserved. One example of this is that Shanxi is the home of Army of Terracotta soldiers.

Tibet is another important source of the Dalian Collection. Furniture from Tibet has always been quite rare. Except for the wealthy, Tibetans used very little furniture in their homes, and the population of Tibet has always been so small that not much was ever made. The Tibetan household typically had only a small number of furniture items, primarily trunks and rugs. Tibetan items are usually made from Tibetan pine or other soft Himalayan woods, and they are decorated with bright colors featuring religious or floral designs. Dalian also has a small collection of Mongolian items with both Chinese and Tibetan influences.

SELECTION AND RESTORATION OF ITEMS

When selecting items for the Dalian Collection, we carefully evaluate features such as age, design, construction, finishing, metalwork, and detailing. Patina of the wood and surfaces must also be carefully considered. Age cannot be determined from the design alone.

Due to climatic factors, storage and turbulent social conditions, most antique items require some degree of restoration. At Dalian, we pay a lot of attention to restoring items in a fashion that does not cause loss of antique value. Our goal is to preserve the original appearance while simultaneously giving new life to the piece of furniture. Improper restoration will decrease the value of the item and can cause permanent damage.

Professional restoration is therefore of utmost importance for ensuring that a precious piece of antique furniture does not lose its original appearance and character. All our pieces are restored by skillful Chinese craftsmen using original techniques.

Each object in the Dalian Collection is a handpicked unique antique item. When selecting pieces for the Dalian Collection, special emphasis is placed on the following criteria:

• Uniqueness

• Excellence of design and craftsmanship

• Quality of construction, materials and painting

• Clear evidence of age