Chin Hua Dining Chairs Raymond Sabota
Late 20th Century Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s North American Chinoiserie Credenzas
Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Dining Room Tables
Glass, Wood
People Also Browsed
2010s American Flush Mount
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary British Organic Modern Wall Lights and Sco...
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Metal
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Velvet, Walnut
20th Century American Organic Modern Dining Room Tables
Iron
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Modern Sofas
Suede, Rosewood
Late 20th Century Biedermeier Dressers
Satinwood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
Metal
Vintage 1970s Colombian Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Beds and Bed Frames
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Velvet, Wood, Ebony
Late 20th Century American Dining Room Tables
Concrete
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s American Chinoiserie Dining Room Sets
Wood
Vintage 1980s American Chinoiserie Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Maple, Lacquer
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Dining Room Chairs
Maple, Lacquer, Fabric
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Maple, Lacquer
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Maple, Lacquer
Vintage 1970s Chinoiserie Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s American Chinoiserie Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Wood
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.