Blue White Elephant Chinoiserie Plant Stand
20th Century Southeast Asian Chinoiserie Statues
Ceramic, Paint
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Statues
Ceramic, Paint
Vintage 1960s Belgian Chinoiserie Stools
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Stools
Ceramic
Antique Late 19th Century French Chinoiserie Mantel Clocks
Ormolu, Bronze, Enamel
Recent Sales
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian Chinoiserie Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Animal Sculptures
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Pedestals and Columns
Ceramic, Paint
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic
Vintage 1960s Singaporean Chinoiserie Patio and Garden Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
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2010s British Mid-Century Modern Floor Mirrors and Full-Length Mirrors
Brass
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
20th Century Chinese Hollywood Regency Bookends
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Art Glass
20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Figurative Sculptures
Gesso, Shell, Wood
20th Century American American Classical Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Animal Sculptures
Crystal, Gold Plate, Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century English Victorian Serving Pieces
Porcelain
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Decorative Boxes
Spelter
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Beech
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather
Antique Late 19th Century American Country Pottery
Pottery
Antique 1790s German Louis XVI Cabinets
Fir
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Games
Wood
Vintage 1960s French Space Age Lounge Chairs
Fabric
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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