Double Tassel Tieback
Late 20th Century French Chinoiserie Curtains and Valances
Jade
People Also Browsed
Antique 1870s French Renaissance Revival Beds and Bed Frames
Oak
Vintage 1950s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
1930s American Modern Animal Prints
Lithograph
Early 20th Century Chinese Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Wallpaper
Paper
Antique 19th Century French Curtains and Valances
Silk
Antique 19th Century Curtains and Valances
Cotton, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary American Hollywood Regency Sofas
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XIII Cabinets
Oak
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Wallpaper
Paper
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble, Porphyry
1990s North American Hollywood Regency Sofas
Chenille, Velvet, Down
Antique 18th Century Brazilian Baroque Vitrines
Fabric, Glass, Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century English High Victorian Taxidermy
Other
Antique 19th Century European Decorative Bowls
Porcelain
Antique 19th Century French Renaissance Revival Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
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.