We source authentic Chinese cultural gifts for your shop, museum or brand.
CnCraftAgent is a sourcing company based in Nanjing. We find makers of heritage crafts and cultural gifts across China, verify what they actually produce by hand, inspect every order before it ships, and get it to your door. You pay the workshop directly. We charge a flat 10% service fee — and nothing else.
One request, handled end to end
Most buyers can find a factory. What they cannot do from overseas is tell a hand-carved piece from a moulded copy, or stand in a workshop in Jingdezhen on a Tuesday morning. That is the part we do.
Sourcing
You describe the craft, the quantity and the budget. We shortlist workshops that make it by hand — not trading companies reselling machine copies with a story attached.
Verification
Photographs and video of the actual sample, with dimensions, weight, finish and the maker's name. We tell you what is wrong with it before you spend money.
Inspection & export
A written pre-shipment inspection against an agreed checklist, consolidation across multiple workshops into one shipment, and export documentation coordinated with your forwarder.
From inquiry to your door
Six steps. The same process whether you are ordering fifty pieces or five thousand.
You send a request
Craft type, quantity, target budget, destination country. No commitment and no charge for the first round of options.
We come back with options
Two to four workshops, real photographs, real quotations, lead times, and our honest read on quality.
You choose and pay the workshop directly
The purchase is between you and the workshop. Your money for goods never passes through our account.
We supervise production and inspect
Progress photographs through the run, then a written inspection report against the checklist you approved before production started.
We consolidate and coordinate export
One shipment, one set of documents, one point of contact — even when the goods come from four different workshops.
You pay our service fee
Flat 10% of goods value, agreed in writing before we start, invoiced separately from the goods.
What we source
We work across the categories that carry Chinese craft identity, and we stay out of the ones that require food, pharmaceutical or dangerous-goods licensing. If a category needs certification we do not hold, we will tell you rather than take the order.
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Paper & print
Hand-cut paper-cutting, woodblock New Year prints, letterpress cards, blank folding fans, red envelopes, decorative prints
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Textile & embroidery
Su and Miao embroidery accessories, brooches, scarves, brocade panels, Chinese knots, frog buttons, indigo and wax-resist pieces
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Lacquer
Lacquer boxes, trays, pens, inlaid desk objects, small furniture pieces
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Metal & stone
Brass seals, movable-type pieces, filigree and silver jewellery, carved stone desk objects, cloisonné smalls, bookmarks
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Ceramics & glass
Decorative porcelain, Jian ware cups, incense holders, vases, glass ornaments — with food-contact use confirmed case by case
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Bamboo, wood & rattan
Carved tea scoops, tea caddies, small boxes, woven baskets, joinery puzzles — subject to destination-country plant quarantine rules
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Novelty & seasonal
Resin and plastic figurines, zodiac pieces, cultural board games, paper model kits — with clean IP and no electronics
What we do not handle: food, tea, alcohol, supplements, cosmetics, essential oils, liquids and pastes, plant-based incense, medicines, and materials from protected species. These require licences or certificates we do not hold, and we would rather decline than put your shipment at risk.
Why a company, not a marketplace
Marketplaces list suppliers. We take responsibility for the order. That difference is why our clients keep coming back rather than re-tendering every season.
We can tell handwork from copies
Our sourcing team includes a specialist trained in archaeology who worked in an auction house. She asks which dynasty a pattern comes from and where a technique broke off — and she can tell when a "hand-carved" surface was pressed from a mould.
We are close to the makers
Nanjing, Suzhou, Yixing, Jingdezhen and the Yunnan craft counties are a day trip, not a flight. We visit workshops, watch the work being made, and know which families still do it the old way.
We have no reason to upsell you
We do not own the goods and we take no percentage of the price. Our fee is fixed at 10% and agreed before we start. The cheapest workshop that meets your specification is the one we recommend.
Who we work with
We are set up for buyers who order repeatedly, not once.
Retail & wholesale
Gift shops, concept stores, homeware brands and online sellers adding a Chinese craft line. Typically 100 to 2,000 pieces per order.
Museums, galleries & hospitality
Museum shops, gallery retail, hotel and restaurant groups sourcing cultural gift ranges, amenity objects and display pieces.
Pricing
One fee, stated up front, and no markup hidden inside the goods price.
| Order value (goods only) | Service fee |
|---|---|
| Under US$5,000 | US$300 minimum |
| US$5,000 – US$10,000 | 8% of goods value |
| Above US$10,000 | 6% of goods value |
Samples, domestic freight, consolidation and international shipping are passed through at cost with original receipts. Duties and import compliance in your country remain yours.
Questions we get asked first
Are you a store?
No. We are a sourcing company. We do not own the goods and we do not sell them. The purchase is made directly between you and the workshop; we handle sourcing, verification, inspection and export coordination on your behalf.
How do I know you are not marking up the factory price?
You see the workshop's own quotation and you pay the workshop directly. Our fee is a separate line, fixed before we start. There is no hidden margin to find, because there is no margin.
What is your minimum order?
None on our side. Workshops set their own minimums — often 50 to 200 pieces per design. If your quantity falls below that, we can sometimes combine your order with another client's production run. Ask us before you rule it out.
Can you send samples?
Yes. Sample cost and courier are passed through at cost. We photograph and measure every sample ourselves before it ships, and we tell you if it is not good enough rather than letting you discover it later.
What if the goods arrive damaged or wrong?
We inspect against the checklist agreed before production and send you the report with photographs before the goods leave China. If something does not match the approved sample, we raise it with the workshop while the goods are still here — which is the entire point of using an agent.
Which countries do you ship to?
We coordinate with your forwarder or recommend one. We handle export documentation and consolidation from China. Duties, VAT and import compliance in your country remain your responsibility, and we will tell you upfront what to expect for your category.
Do you work with small first orders?
Yes, and we would rather start that way. Most of our client relationships began with a sample order or a single test carton.
Tell us what you are looking for
Send the craft, the quantity and the budget. We will come back with real options and an honest opinion — usually within two business days.
Send a sourcing request