Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
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.
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Hardwood, Paper
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Paint
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Silk
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Rosewood
Early 18th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Paper
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Paper
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Acrylic
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Glass, Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Paper
2010s Chinese Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Canvas
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Brass
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Brass
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Soapstone, Brass
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Silk, Paint, Paper
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Silk
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Wood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Leather
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Wood
1890s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Paper
19th Century Japanese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Wood, Paint
1860s French Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Wood
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Hardwood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Wood
19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Silk, Paint
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Wood, Lacquer
1890s French Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Hardwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
Leather