Skip to main content

Chinoiserie Busts

CHINOISERIE STYLE

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.

to
2
2
2
1
1
250
214
205
171
118
61
55
54
19
14
14
13
12
12
11
7
5
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Height
to
Width
to
2
2
2
Style: Chinoiserie
Wooden Large Sculptures of Buddha on Bases with Polychromy Traces
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
Rare Buddha wooden heads sculptures , with polychrome traces - smiling and peaceful - Rested on a pair of wood capitals, same era. Suitable for the...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Wood

Vintage Carved Stone Meditating Buddha Head Statue Bust on Wood Plinth 12"
Located in Dayton, OH
Heavy carved stone Buddha head sculpture / statue featuring curling hair, elongated ears, closed eyes, and slightly smiling expression. Set in a black painted wooden plinth stand. ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Stone

Related Items
Early 20th Century Antique Chinese Carved Stone Buddha Head Sculpture
Located in Pomona, CA
Look at this magnificent Chinese Antique Carved Stone Buddha Head. It was dated back to 1920s and shows very detailed hand carving works on it. You can see from the pictures that It ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Stone

Early 20th Century Antique Chinese Carved Stone Buddha Head Sculpture
Early 20th Century Antique Chinese Carved Stone Buddha Head Sculpture
$1,012 Sale Price
25% Off
H 11 in W 6.5 in D 7.5 in
Asian Khmer Cambodia Stoned Carved Head Bust of Male Buddhist Buddha Shiva Deity
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderfully sand stone-carved Asian deity figure / sculpture likely from Cambodia. The detailed head is likely that of the divinity deity Shiva, sometimes referred to as the smiling God-King. The features are clearly reminiscent of the carvings found at both Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom...
Category

19th Century Cambodian Antique Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Sandstone

Chinese Song Dynasty Buddha Stone Head
Located in Kastrup, DK
Stone Buddha head with beautiful, natural, age-related patina from the Chinese Song Dynasty, The head, measuring 18 x 12 x 12 cm, is mounted on a wooden ...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Stone

Chinese Song Dynasty Buddha Stone Head
Chinese Song Dynasty Buddha Stone Head
$2,689
H 12.21 in W 7.09 in D 4.73 in
Khmer Bronze Figure of Prajnaparamita with Eleven Faces
Located in Austin, TX
The embodiment of transcendental wisdom, Prajnaparamita is often referred to as the mother of all Buddhas. In this extremely rare tantric form, she is portrayed seated in the half lotus position. Her eleven faces are arranged in two tiers (seven on the first, with an additional four above), all surmounted by a rising conical chignon. Each face has an associated pair of arms which radiate outwards, each hand holding a discreet attribute. Careful attention has been paid to her clothing and jewelry. She wears a heavily pleated sampot with a cross hatch pattern, elegantly turned down at the waist and tied with an ornate belt...
Category

18th Century and Earlier Cambodian Antique Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Hand-Carved Jade Stone Statue
Located in Dallas, TX
Vintage hand-carved jade stone statue was cleverly sculpted to depict fully laden grapevines, combined with a naturally colored rouge segment below creating the illusion of a gnarly grapevine root...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Stone

Asian Wood Hand-Painted Figure of a Recumbent Ram
Located in North Hollywood, CA
The Asian recumbent ram is shown resting upon gilded hooves with head raised and black eyes looking straight ahead, its mouth slightly opened, finely decorated with dense scrolled pa...
Category

Late 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Wood

Pair of Blanc-de-Chine Dehua Figures of Guanyin
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A Pair Of Blanc - De - Chine Dehua  Figures Of Guanyin Early 20th century Each figure is modelled standing in flowing robes upon a lotus leaf decorated stand, holding a fl...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Stone Shakyamuni Buddha Head
Located in Chicago, IL
With closed eyes and a gentle expression, this large stone Buddha head brings calm and serenity to its surroundings. The hand-carved figure depicts the historic Buddha Shakyamuni, also known as Shaka, Gautama Buddha...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Stone

Chinese Stone Shakyamuni Buddha Head
Chinese Stone Shakyamuni Buddha Head
$880
H 9 in W 6.25 in D 6.25 in
Asian Marble Quan Yin Buddha Bust or Head
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Beautifully executed hand carved marble buddha head fragment of Quan Yin. The youthful face is peaceful and serine framed by an intricately carved headdress. A striking art object wi...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Marble

Gautama Buddha Sitting on Lotus - Asian Wood Carving Statue
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Well crafted Asian hand carved wood statue of Gautama Buddha resting on a stylized lotus pedestal. Also known as Siddhartha Gautama and Lord Buddha. Gautama Buddha is also commonly r...
Category

Late 20th Century Asian Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Wood

Ark #1 Unique Mix-Wood Sculpture by Po Shun Leong
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
The Ark Collection by Po Shun Leung originated from his dreaming of ocean liners. When the sirens screamed in London during the Second World War, the Leung family headed undergro...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Walnut

Ark #1 Unique Mix-Wood Sculpture by Po Shun Leong
Ark #1 Unique Mix-Wood Sculpture by Po Shun Leong
$7,000 / item
H 30 in W 8 in D 34 in
Tang Style Sancai-Glazed Figure of a Court Lady
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A Tang style Sancai-glazed Figure of a Court Lady, 20th century. Standing figure with the long amber and green-glazed robe and green-glazed shoes, the delicate features ...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Pottery

Previously Available Items
18th Century Venetian Style Carved Wood Busts, Circa 1940
Located in Rochester, NY
18th century Venetian grotto style large hand carved wood male and female busts in the original polychrome painted surface. Italian, circa 1940. Rare and amazing. Look at all pictu...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Wood, Paint

20th Century Hand-Carved Petrified Wood Criyng Man Sculpture
Located in Catania, Sicilia
A Crying man statue manufactured in Asia in the 20th century, probably for exposure to atmospheric agents the ebonized wood now has this particular color . The legend of the crying m...
Category

Early 20th Century Javanese Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Wood

Chinoiserie Asian Chalkware Bust of a Woman Attributed to Esther Hunt, 1920s
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Chinoiserie style hand painted ceramic bust of a woman in wonderful vintage condition. This figural bust is created from chalkware and features a Chinese woman with dark hair pulled into two buns at each side. Her hair is black and accented with blue, green and white floral decoration. The woman wears a traditional cheongsam in light pastel pink. A cherry blossom print in darker pink accents the garment throughout with black piping at its edges. The sculpture ends just below the young woman's shoulders Attributed to Esther Hunt...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Ceramic, Paint

Wooden Mask of a Chinese Traditional Opera Personage, Sulfur Eyes, 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Wooden Mask of a Chinese Traditional Opera Personage, Sulfur Eyes, circa 1900 Measures: H 30cm, L 20cm, P 15cm.
Category

Early 1900s Asian Antique Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Wood

19th Century Sculpture of Buddha on a Marble Base
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
19th century sculpture of Buddha on a marble base.   
Category

19th Century Asian Antique Chinoiserie Busts

Materials

Marble, Griotte Marble

Chinoiserie busts for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Chinoiserie busts for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage busts created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, asian art and furniture and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with plaster, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Chinoiserie busts made in a specific country, there are Asia, China, and East Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for busts differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $289 and tops out at $2,431 while the average work can sell for $1,360.

Recently Viewed

View All