Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Cotton
Late 20th Century French Chinoiserie Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Jade
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1870s French Renaissance Revival Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Oak
Mid-19th Century English High Victorian Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Rococo Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Metallic Thread
17th Century Italian Baroque Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Spruce
1950s French Louis XVI Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Fabric, Wood
2010s American Chinoiserie Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Silk
Early 2000s Italian Modern Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Silk, Velvet
Mid-20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 1900s American Edwardian Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Bamboo
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Wood
1930s American Modern Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Lithograph
19th Century Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Velvet
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Paper
18th Century Belgian Gustavian Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Linen
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Hollywood Regency Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Brass
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century North American Chinoiserie Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Cotton
20th Century American Chinoiserie Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Wood
1960s Chinoiserie Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Bamboo, Rattan, Hardwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Vintage Chinoiserie Curtains
Canvas, Linen, Giltwood
A Close Look at chinoiserie Furniture
Emerging in the 17th century, chinoiserie appropriated the aesthetics and imagery of popular East Asian design for European-made versions. Reflecting the exoticization of China, Japan and other countries in this era, the word directly translates from French to “Chinese-esque,” which reveals its shortcomings as a style of furniture and decor that often stereotypically and reductively mimics Asian culture rather than showcasing and paying tribute to its artistic traditions.
The enthusiastically decorative chinoiserie style was propelled by influential tastemakers including French King Louis XIV, whose Trianon de Porcelaine in 1670 was inspired by Chinese architecture. Expanded trade between the East and West led to a demand for porcelain, lacquer objects, silk and other goods, which further informed the fanciful furniture being crafted in Europe.
Artisans working in the chinoiserie style used materials and elements like pagoda shapes, bamboo, lacquer surfaces, bird and flower motifs and other interpretations of Asian design on pieces that were frequently set against vibrant wallcoverings. This whimsical approach yielded chinoiserie furniture that boasted dramatic flourishes drawing on the natural world and reflected the dominance of Rococo during the 18th century.
As chinoiserie was shaped by approximations of Asian design by European creators, it had regional variations, such as Chinese Chippendale in England where cabinets, chairs and tea tables had wooden fretwork designs and “japanned” surfaces intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia. In North America, furniture makers in Boston and New York integrated chinoiserie-painted scenes into Queen Anne furniture.
Antique chinoiserie furniture has continued to be fashionable, from its popularity with decorators of the Hollywood Regency era — James Mont, Tommi Parzinger, William Haines and Samuel Marx favored the style — to contemporary interior designers, although it brings with it a complex history.
Find a collection of chinoiserie bedroom furniture, cabinets, decorative objects and more on 1stDibs.
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