Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
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
3
3
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
3
860
472
139
133
56
55
29
27
20
15
14
12
11
10
10
8
7
1
2
2
3
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
3
3
3
Style: Chinoiserie
Chinoiserie Hand Carved Rosewood Howdah Elephant Saddle Chair Bangkok Thailand
Located in Topeka, KS
Phenomenal vintage Chinoiserie hand carved Rosewood Howdah or elephant saddle chair from Bangkok Thailand. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear. It has a repaired chip and crack on its front top back rail. It was given a fresh coat of Danish oil. Please see photos and zoom in for details. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, Mid-20th Century.
NOTE: If you love this saddle chair from Bangkok we have additional interesting pieces from Bangkok listed here if they are still available.
OK… Grab your elephant and let’s go for a RIDE!! LOL… ok, most people probably don’t actually have a pet elephant BUT… that shouldn’t detour you from owning a PHENOMENAL hand carved elephant saddle chair or Howdah chair...
Category
Mid-20th Century Thai Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Rosewood
19th Century Ornate Walnut Floral Chinoiserie Style Desk Chair
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Transport yourself back to the sleek and sophisticated 19th Century with this exquisite hand carved wood chair. The ultra rare chair exudes an air of luxury and refinement. Outstandi...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage Chinoiserie Hand Carved Rosewood Rolling Desk Chair Bangkok Thailand
Located in Topeka, KS
Fabulous Chinoiserie hand carved Rosewood rolling desk chair from Bangkok, Thailand. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use a...
Category
Mid-20th Century Thai Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Aluminum, Steel
Related Items
Ico Parisi Rosewood and Suede Desk Chair, 1950s Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautiful blend of Italian vintage and modern functionality, this Rosewood & suede desk chair by MIM Roma is an elegant addition to any space. Creat...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Suede, Rosewood
19th Century English Victorian Mahogany Desk Chair
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a Victorian mahogany desk chair, in the Arts & Crafts style, revolving and with four down swept legs terminating on scroll fe...
Category
Late 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Mahogany
Old Vintage Oak Wood Desk Chair
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A very well crafted vintage wooden rolling desk chair with adjustable back and seat height . The metal hardware mixed with the wood grains make this a superb quality example of the i...
Category
Early 20th Century American Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Metal
Finn Juhl 1960 Diplomat Chair in Rosewood
By Finn Juhl
Located in Dronten, NL
Distinguished Diplomat Chair in rosewood designed by Finn Juhl and manufactured by Cado.
All original vintage condition, marked with silver Finn Juhl label.
Fabric and foam are worn...
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Rosewood
Empire Mahogany Desk Chair, Early 19th Century
Located in Spencertown, NY
The desk chair with carved diamond motif on crest and richly carved griffin wings above articulated paw feet with tan colored leather upholstery. Height: 30" Seat height: 17" Depth: ...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
French 19th Century Louis-Philippe Desk Chair
Located in Stockbridge, GA
This Desk Chair is made of mahogany, French Louis-Philippe Period.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Mahogany
Herman Miller Rolling Office Chairs, Pair
Located in South Bend, IN
A nice pair of rolling office or desk chairs
By Herman Miller
USA, 2000s
A nice pair of rolling office or desk chairs
By Herman Miller
USA, 2000s
Measures: 18" W x 19" D x 3...
Category
Early 2000s American Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Mid-Century Danish Modern Rosewood Desk Office Side Chair Armchair
Located in Wayne, NJ
Mid-Century Danish modern rosewood desk office side armchair. If you are in the New Jersey , New York City Metro Area , please contact us with your delivery zip code, as we may be ab...
Category
1970s Vintage Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Other
Otto Zapf Executive Chairs in Original Saddle Brown Leather by Knoll
Located in Stamford, CT
Otto Zapf, a distinguished German product designer, embarked on his career in his homeland, driven by an enduring passion for flexibility and human-centered design. By the time he joined forces with Knoll in 1973, Zapf was already an accomplished designer, and his transition was as seamless as the furniture he would go on to create for the iconic brand. Marrying a distinctly German design philosophy centered on systems with a deep commitment to humanism and ease of use, Zapf crafted pieces that were as functional as they were inviting. His Softline System, a modular office storage suite, epitomized this approach by combining rigid frames with soft, attachable fabric surfaces. This design ethos found further expression in his Executive Seating Collection, where soft, upholstered pads mounted onto spring steel frames resulted in a creation unmistakably true to Zapf’s vision.
Zapf's commitment to "friendly design" is evident in every aspect of his Executive Seating Collection. He masterfully balanced the demands of comfort and ergonomics, crafting a chair that not only looks inviting but also offers unparalleled functionality—a hallmark of Knoll’s design philosophy. The innovative cushion system, a key feature of this chair, reflects Zapf's dedication to adaptability and ease of maintenance. Each of the five independent cushions can be effortlessly removed for repair or replacement, ensuring the chair’s longevity. The back cushions glide smoothly along dual rails of spring steel, adjusting to the user's preferred reclining position with natural ease. The result is a chair that not only welcomes but also adapts to the user, embodying the very essence of Zapf's design principles.
This particular chair is no longer in production, making it highly sought after, especially when presented in the timeless Saddle Brown leather as shown. We currently have six of Otto Zapf’s Executive Chairs...
Category
1970s American Vintage Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Steel, Stainless Steel
Vintage Thai Howdah-style Meditation Chair
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Vintage Thai Howdah-style Meditation Chair, teak, lacquer, gold leaf, Mid-20th century. A highly decorative and ornately carved throne, evocative of the ro...
Category
Mid-20th Century Thai Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Gold Leaf
Teak Howdah Elephant Saddle Chair
Located in Houston, TX
Teak Howdah Elephant Saddle Chair.
Beautifully carved Asian teakwood Howdah elephant saddle chair or bench, Thailand, 1920.
This unusual Anglo-Indian chai...
Category
1920s Thai Vintage Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Bouclé, Teak
A 19th Century Swivelling Oak Office Chair or Desk Chair
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A 19th Century Swivelling Oak Office Chair or Desk Chair
The Chair has an attractive deep curving back top rail with slats and arching Shepherds Crook Arm Rests. The Chair has a s...
Category
Early 1900s Antique Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Oak
Previously Available Items
Davis Cabinet Co Teakwood Student Writing Desk & Faux Bamboo Chair
Located in Dayton, OH
"Vintage Davis Cabinet Company student desk and chair. Made of teakwood featuring asian styling with rectangular form, four drawers and faux bamboo black vinyl side chair. Circa late 20th century, Nashville Tennessee.
These words of our venerable leader introduce this short history of our firm which began in 1929. There are certainly older furniture companies ---- and obviously younger ones, but quite likely, none with a more romantic history or a more Horatio Alger-like history than ours. Davis Cabinet Company began as the dream of one man, Lipscomb ""Lip"" Davis, and as is the case with most dreams, this one ---- the impractical idea of building fine furniture from solid wood ---- was thought to be an impossibility. Wood, like steel and iron and most other substances, expands and contracts with climate changes. Furniture built of solid wood must of necessity rack itself to pieces through the inexorable changes of expansion and contraction. Lipscomb Davis thought otherwise. His personal philosophy might be expressed as ""Anything can be accomplished if it is done correctly"", and to this end he had already conceived and engineered a startling new concept of free floating construction that would allow the solid wood case construction to move at will . . . . naturally . . . and thereby avoid the stresses of climatic change. The opportunity to test the idea came dramatically in 1929 ---- but we're getting a bit ahead of our story.
While Davis Cabinet Company was formed in 1929, it really had its beginnings around the turn of the century as a sawmill located near Fifth Street on the banks of the Cumberland River. The mill produced lumber from logs rafted down the river from neighboring forests. A ready market existed for most of the high grade lumber turned out by the mill. But, in order to utilize their entire production, the enterprising mill owners formed a subsidiary business, Standard Furniture Company. Here, they manufactured primarily veneered bedroom suites and sewing machine cabinets...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Faux Bamboo, Teak
19th Century Chinoiserie English Bamboo Leather Top Lacquered Desk and Chair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
19th century chinoiserie English bamboo leather top lacquer desk and chair. Listing includes a tooled black leather 3 panel top, bamboo frame, hand painted floral accents, 7 drawers,...
Category
Late 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Leather, Bamboo, Paint
H 38.5 in W 18.5 in L 38.5 in
19th Century Chinoiserie English Bamboo Leather Top Lacquered Desk and Chair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
19th century chinoiserie English bamboo leather top lacquer desk and chair. Listing includes a tooled black leather 3 panel top, bamboo frame, hand painted floral accents, 7 drawers,...
Category
Late 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Leather, Bamboo, Paint
H 38.5 in W 18.5 in D 20 in
Antique Black Japanned Armchair
Located in Sheffield, MA
The antique black Japanned armchair in the Queen Anne style with upholstered seat is decorated with a Oriental figure crossing a bridge with a flowering ...
Category
Early 20th Century American Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Wood
English 18th Century Georgian Chinese Chippendale Cockpen Desk Chair
Located in Richmond, London
English mid-18th century George III Chinese Chippendale open armchair in mahogany,
c. 1765
A generously proportioned, early George III pe...
Category
Mid-18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Mahogany
1920s Oriental, Black Lacquered and Gold Decorated Desk and Chair
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Super quality oriental desk and chair circa 1920.
Desk with matching desk in chinoiserie decoration in gold and red on black background.
Desk wit...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Lacquer
Chinoiserie office chairs and desk chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Chinoiserie office chairs and desk chairs 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 office chairs and desk chairs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, rosewood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Chinoiserie office chairs and desk chairs made in a specific country, there are Asia, Southeast Asia, and Thailand 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 office chairs and desk chairs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,700 and tops out at $2,495 while the average work can sell for $2,495.