Theodore Alexander Chinoiserie
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie End Tables
Hardwood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Chinoiserie Commodes and Chests...
Brass
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Vases
Metal
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Table Lamps
Paint, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Serving Tables
Brass
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Ceramic
Antique Mid-18th Century Chinese Cabinets
Elm
Antique 1830s French Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Antique 1820s Biedermeier Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
20th Century American Books
Paper
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Ceramic
Antique Mid-19th Century Russian Empire Paperweights
Malachite, Bronze, Ormolu
Vintage 1920s American Chinoiserie Cabinets
Brass
Early 20th Century Russian Sterling Silver
Silver
Antique Late 19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Cabinets
Bamboo, Mirror, Wood
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Ceramic
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 19th Century Chinese Furniture
Wood, Paint, Lacquer
Vintage 1950s Spanish Gueridon
Marble
Antique 19th Century Russian High Victorian Animal Sculptures
Bronze, Iron, Ormolu
Early 20th Century Louis XV Bedroom Sets
Mirror, Satinwood
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century Vietnamese Chinoiserie Obelisks
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Chinoiserie Tables
Brass
2010s Vietnamese Chinoiserie Tray Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Sideboards
Glass, Wood
20th Century American Chinoiserie Side Tables
1990s American Chinoiserie Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Faux Bamboo, Wood
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
2010s Chinoiserie Sideboards
Canvas, Mahogany, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Chinoiserie Magazine Racks and ...
Bamboo, Lacquer
20th Century Chinoiserie Wall Mirrors
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century American Chinoiserie Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
Late 20th Century Unknown Desks and Writing Tables
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Cabinets
Faux Bamboo, Hardwood, Paint
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.