Paravent Coromandel
Antique Mid-19th Century French Chinoiserie Screens and Room Dividers
Wood, Hardwood
Recent Sales
Antique Mid-18th Century English Chinoiserie Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Lacquer
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Vintage 1960s Danish Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
Brass
Late 20th Century Mexican Modern Sculptures
Aluminum
2010s American Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Table Lamps
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
Metal, Aluminum
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
20th Century Italian Brutalist Wall Mirrors
Rock Crystal
Vintage 1960s French Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
2010s European Footstools
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1970s English Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary American Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
Hardwood, Walnut
20th Century English Regency Tray Tables
Metal, Silver
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Metal
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Mirror, 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.
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