Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
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.
1960s Italian Vintage Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Metal
19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Late 18th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Faience
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ironstone
1960s Chinese Vintage Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Stone
Mid-19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ironstone
20th Century English Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Hardwood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century German Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century European Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Composition
19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Bronze
20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Bronze
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Wood
1820s English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ironstone
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Delft
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Blown Glass, Paper
Early 18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Oak, Lacquer
20th Century American Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Faience, Pottery
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Pottery
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Clay
20th Century Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Paint
19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century American Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Tin
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ironstone
20th Century British Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 2000s American Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Bronze, Enamel
Early 18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Oak
20th Century Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Hardwood, Lacquer
19th Century German Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Earthenware
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1850s English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Brass, Tin
Mid-18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Giltwood
1880s European Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 20th Century English Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Early 20th Century French Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Enamel, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ormolu
18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Cherry
Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ceramic
17th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Ormolu, Bronze
1890s French Antique Chinoiserie Decorative Objects
Bronze