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.
Chinoiserie Coromandel Six Panel Screen
Located in Bradenton, FL
A mid 20th Century Chinoiserie decorated room divider screen with six panels. The black lacquer finish is decorated in front with a lavish, richly detailed river scene in relief, wit...
Brass
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
8 Panel Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Folding Screen Room Divider Grecian Urns 144"
Located in Dayton, OH
A very large and impressive vintage eight panel black lacquer gilt-decorated folding screen, featuring classic Chinoiserie styling with Grecian urns / flor...
Lacquer
Antique Japanese Six Panel Room Divider Floor Screen
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique Japanese Six Panel Room Divider Floor Screen.
Paper
Pair of Chelsea House Edgedale Chinoiserie Painted Silk Panels
Located in Rio Vista, CA
A beautifully hand-painted pair of silk Chinoiserie decorated "Edgedale" panels, made by Chelsea House in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Each opulent watercolor painting depicts an Asi...
Silk, Glass, Hardwood
Chinoiserie Large Blue and White Porcelain Vase
Located in Elkhart, IN
A classic blue and white ginger jar form vase, decorated throughout with delicate Chinoiserie floral motifs. The pattern is dense yet balanced, wrapping the form in movement while ma...
Porcelain
$2,062Sale Price|25% Off
Dutch Rococo Style Chinoiserie Walnut Serpentine Bombe Chest By White Furniture
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a Dutch Rococo style chinoiserie bombe chest by White Furniture. It is a double bombe walnut chest with carved serpentine front. It has gilt chinoiserie details, and tongue i...
Brass
$180Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Early 19th Century Coalport Thumb & Finger Imari Plate 9.5"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique early 19th century Coalport John Rose porcelain display plate (circa 1803–1810) featuring the iconic Thumb and Finger Imari pattern with gilt-latticed cobalt cloud motifs and...
Porcelain
$680Sale Price|20% Off
2 Chinese Green Sancai Glazed Porcelain Foo Dog Guardian Lion Statues 12"
Located in Dayton, OH
Two vintage Chinese famille verte green and gold Sancai glazed porcelain foo dogs / guardian lion sculptures / statues / figurines. Purchased at Stones Throw Antiques, Lenox Massach...
Porcelain
Vintage Chinoiserie Polychrome Ceramic Fishbowl Planter
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully decorative late 20th-century ceramic fishbowl planter featuring a soft chinoiserie palette of cobalt blue, dusty pink, and green against a warm white ground. Repeating ...
Porcelain
Antique Campaign Cabinet on Stand, Oriental, Chinoiserie, Cupboard, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique campaign cabinet on stand. An Oriental, lacquered canvas over pine Chinoiserie cupboard, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1900. A fascinating example of...
Pine, Lacquer
Antique 1920s Art Deco Chinese Nichols Rug in Sage Green & Plum Floral Design
Located in Norwalk, CT
An exquisite piece of 1920s Art Deco luxury, this authentic antique Chinese Nichols-style wool rug features an ethereal sage green field framed by a rich plum and aubergine border. E...
Wool
Antique English Chinoiserie Hand Painted Black & Gilt Birds Floral Tole Tray
Located in Pearland, TX
A lovely antique English black tole tray with a hand painted gold gilt birds and floral design, rolled rim, and charming handles, circa 1900. It displays beautifully, a perfect addit...
Tôle
English Chinoiserie rolled rim tole tray, c. 1830
Located in Chicago, IL
A beautifully rendered English tole tea tray, painted with an extensive chinoiserie landscape in gilt and bronze powder against a black lacquer ground. The rolled rim encloses a dens...
Enamel, Tin
Vintage Chinese Hardwood and Glass Display Case
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Vintage Chinese Hardwood and Glass Display Case. A wall mounted vitrine or table top display case with right hand side hinged glass door,the harwo...
Glass, Hardwood
Vintage Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Carlton House Neoclassical Writing Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
Late 20th Century Carlton House Writing Desk. Features a chinoiserie lacquered exterior with a bow shaped form featuring a sloped front, eleven drawers and compartments. The desk is...
Hardwood, Lacquer, Paint
Large Blue and White Chinoiserie Porcelain Ginger Jar
Located in Elkhart, IN
A large blue and white porcelain ginger jar decorated with continuous Chinoiserie landscapes of pagodas, garden pavilions, trees, distant hills, and small boats. The cobalt decoratio...
Porcelain
Meissen Blue Onion Porcelain Soup Bowls, Set of Two, Germany, Early 20th Century
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A beautiful pair of antique Meissen porcelain soup bowls in the iconic Blue Onion pattern, also known as Zwiebelmuster, made in Germany during the early twentieth century. Each bowl ...
Porcelain
20th Century Blue / White Chinoiserie Porcelain Wood Base Pair of Table Lamps
Located in Tarry Town, NY
This elegant pair of late 20th-century table lamps features glazed porcelain bodies decorated in a traditional blue and white Chinoiserie style. The scenic decoration showcases archi...
Porcelain, Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Vintage Chinese Chippendale Faux Tortoise Shell Pierced Trellis Bench Arm Chair
Located in Dayton, OH
This distinctive diminutive open-arm accent chair or bench features a bold, tortoiseshell faux-painted finish over its entire wooden frame, creating a richly textured pattern of deep...
Hardwood, Lacquer
Antique Chinoiserie Black & Gold Tall Chest of Drawers
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique Chinoiserie Black & Gold Tall Chest of Drawers.
Wood
Chinoiserie Large Blue and White Porcelain Ginger Jar
Located in Elkhart, IN
A classic blue and white ginger jar, decorated throughout with delicate Chinese floral motifs. The pattern is dense yet balanced, wrapping the form in movement while maintaining the ...
Porcelain
Chinoiserie Rectangular Coffee Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Chinoiserie Coffee table with original black lacquered frame and surface with incredible hand painted red tones with floral and birds. Nice scale and easy to work with your Designed ...
Wood
Chinoiserie Large Blue and White Porcelain Ginger Jar
Located in Elkhart, IN
A classic blue and white ginger jar, decorated throughout with delicate bird and flowering branch motifs. The pattern is dense yet balanced, wrapping the form in movement while maint...
Porcelain
Large Blue and White Dutch Delft Jar Vase with Cover Late 19th Century
By Delft
Located in Katonah, NY
This large blue and white Dutch Delft jar was made in the Netherlands in the late 19th century. Standing an impressive 22 inches tall, the jar has a softly rounded octagonal form and...
Delft
18th Century Coromandel Pagoda 8 Panel Folding Screen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
18th Century Coromandel 8 Panel folding screen, front side pagoda and figures, reverse is Chinoiserie with birds. Original finish on thin wood panels. The background finish is a dark...
Wood
18th C Style Burton-Ching Charles II Black Chinoiserie Regency Mirror
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
18th C Style Burton-Ching Charles II Black Chinoiserie Regency Mirror
Mirror
Japanese Plate and Bowl Set, Japan, 19th Century
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Japanese porcelain plate and bowl set dating from the 19th century. This decorative two-piece ensemble features traditional hand-painted motifs in vibrant cobalt blue, iron red, soft...
Ceramic
Early 20th Century German Brass and Textured Glass Chinoiserie Lantern
Located in Hannover, DE
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Revival Chinoiserie Glass Lantern An exceptionally decorative German lantern pendant from the early 20th century, most likely dating from the 1...
Metal, Brass
Mid Century Chinese Carved Elm Trunk Hope Chest Coffee Table Camphor Chinoiserie
Located in Dayton, OH
Mid 20th Century Chinese hand-carved Asian hope chest or coffee table. Intricately crafted from solid elm wood, showcasing elaborate high-relief narrative panels on its top and all ...
Elm, Paint
Vintage Chinese Chinoiserie Elmwood Low Sideboard With Brass Hardware
Located in Elkton, MD
Vintage Chinese elmwood sideboard with a long, low profile and richly toned wood grain. The restrained case is accented by decorative brass hardware, including an elaborate central l...
Brass
Vintage Tansu Style Chinoiserie Lowboy Credenza Buffet Dresser Sideboard Cabinet
Located in Dayton, OH
Late 20th Century Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Sideboard. Features Korean Tansu inspired styling with applied brass detail. The case is finished in black lacquer with colorful orienta...
Brass
$340Sale Price / set|20% Off
11 Vintage Enameled Cloisonne Trinket Keepsake Pill Match Boxes
Located in Dayton, OH
This collection features an array of vintage Chinese cloisonné enamel trinket boxes, showcasing the intricate centuries-old metalworking technique where delicate brass or copper wire...
Metal
Vintage Portuguese Blue and White Porcelain Umbrella Stand, circa 1980s
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully decorative vintage Portuguese porcelain umbrella stand, dating to circa 1980s, featuring an elegant combination of cobalt-blue decoration against a creamy white ground....
Porcelain
Vintage Chinese Black Lacquer Dimunitive Small Side Table Cabinet Chinoiserie
Located in Dayton, OH
Late 20th Century Chinese Cabinet. Features black trimmed in gold with a geisha scene along the front. The cabinet opens to one shelf for accessory storage. Dimensions: 24" x 14" ...
Hardwood, Lacquer
Henry Link Chinoiserie King Size Headboard
By Henry Link
Located in Bradenton, FL
A Chinoiserie king size headboard attributed to Henry Link Furniture. Central panels with burlwood veneers are hand-painted with Asian river scenes in gold with white and black detai...
Wood
Royal Delft Imari Pijnacker Ceramic Table Lamp Pair, Hand-Painted, Silk Shades
By Amitābha Studio, Royal Delft
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Pair of Royal Delft (De Porceleyne Fles) Imari "Pijnacker" table lamps, hand-painted in iron-red, cobalt blue, and gold on a cream ground, converted from a matched pair of 1975 ceram...
Brass
Asian Chinoiserie Coromandel Screen Six-Panel Bronze Relief Pagoda Room Divider
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A spectacular six‑panel wood Chinese coromandel screen featuring richly detailed hand‑painted relief gilt decoration in classic Chinoiserie style. This monumental room divider presen...
Brass
Chinoiserie Large Blue and White Porcelain Planter
Located in Elkhart, IN
A classic blue and white porcelain planter, rendered in a softly faceted, scalloped form that feels both tailored and relaxed. The hand-painted botanical motifs—branching blossoms an...
Ceramic
Chinoiserie Large Blue and White Porcelain Ginger Jar
Located in Elkhart, IN
A classic blue and white ginger jar, decorated throughout with delicate bird and flowering branch motifs. The pattern is dense yet balanced, wrapping the form in movement while maint...
Porcelain
4 Liu Kuiling Beasts Hanging Scrolls Cats Monkeys Rabbits Squirrels 38"
Located in Dayton, OH
Four vintage Chinese hanging scroll prints after Liu Kuiling, circa 1979. Titled the Four Beasts paintings collection and includes: Rabbits in a Bamboo garden; Squirrels in a gnarle...
Paper
French Chinoiserie Faux Bamboo Upholstered Bench with Lattice Ends, circa 1920
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French faux bamboo upholstered bench dating to circa 1920, designed with an elegant Chinoiserie-inspired frame and distinctive openwork ends. The elongated rectangular seat is upho...
Fabric, Upholstery, Faux Bamboo
Antique 1920s Chinese Art Deco Wool Rug in Rich Ruby, Plum & Magenta 9x11
Located in Norwalk, CT
Elevate your space with the dramatic elegance of this spectacular antique 1920s Chinese Art Deco wool rug. Masterfully hand-knotted during the golden age of Chinese Deco weaving, thi...
Wool
Chinoiserie Large Blue and White Porcelain Ginger Jars, Pair
Located in Elkhart, IN
A classic pair of blue and white ginger jars, decorated throughout with delicate bird and flowering branch motifs. The pattern is dense yet balanced, wrapping the form in movement wh...
Porcelain
$399Sale Price|30% Off
Mid Century Chinese Famille Rose Floral & Fauna Polychrome Garden Stool Seat 18"
Located in Dayton, OH
An exceptional mid 20th century Chinese Famille Rose porcelain garden stool. Features a charming floral and fauna design over white porcelain with colorful detail. The seat showca...
Porcelain
Antique Chinese Art Deco Rug Plum Purple Wool Floral & Bird Motif 9x12
Located in Norwalk, CT
This stunning Antique Chinese Art Deco wool rug (circa 1920s) features a rare, saturated plum or "aubergine" field that serves as a dramatic canvas for its delicate artistry. Hand-kn...
Wool
Antique Chinese Carved Rosewood Dining Chairs With Mother of Pearl Inlay, 1890s
By George Zee
Located in South Bend, IN
An outstanding set of four antique Chinese dining chairs China, Circa 1890s Gorgeous carved rosewood, with exquisite Mother-of-Pearl inlay, and removable upholstered seat cushions....
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
Chinoiserie Large Blue and White Porcelain Covered Jar
Located in Elkhart, IN
A classic blue and white ginger jar, decorated throughout with delicate Chinese landscapes and floral motifs. The pattern is dense yet balanced, wrapping the form in movement while m...
Ceramic
Vintage Chinese Chinoiserie Hand-Carved Hardwood Floor Lamp
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, vintage Chinese Chinoiserie hand-carved hardwood floor lamp features an intricate serpentine dragon column holding a suspended lantern. Deep relief wood car...
Wood
Delft 'Peacock' plate by 'QM' - second half 18th century
By Delft
Located in DELFT, NL
Dutch Delft blue and white 'Peacock' plate, 18th century, with ochre rim, the center decorated in cobalt with an vase containing an arrangement of peacock feathers and flowers. The r...
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Chinese Red & Black Lacquer Figural Soapstone Dry Bar Cabinet Chinoiserie
Located in Dayton, OH
Mid 20th Century Chinese Red and Black Lacquer Soapstone Inlaid Dry Bar, circa 1960s. Features a demilune form with flip top opening to a mirrored area for glassware and bottles as ...
Soapstone
20th Century Black Lacquer Folding Screen with Gilt Chinoiserie Landscape
Located in Austin, TX
A magnificent mid-to-late 20th-century decorative folding screen featuring an elaborate gilt-painted landscape against a rich black lacquer ground. Produced for the export market, th...
Lacquer, Paint
Georgian Style Red & Gold Chinoiserie Decorated Burton-Ching Secretary Desk
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Georgian Style Red & Gold Chinoiserie Decorated Burton-Ching Secretary Desk.
Wood
Tall 38" Italian Blanc De Chine Porcelain Quan Yin Asian Goddess Lamp
Located in New York, NY
Tall Blanc de chine ivory porcelain Quan Yin, Asian goddess of peace, figural lamp on circular painted wood base. Her robes surrounded by lotus flowers at the base of sculpture, and...
Porcelain
Important Maison Gripoix Floral Arrangement, Yves Saint Laurent
Located in Riverdale, NY
Important Gripoix Floral Arrangement, from the former YSL Showroom on West 57th St in New York City. One of an important trio that were used for decoration within the Lalanne designed iron showcases...
Silver Plate, Bronze
Antique Dutch Delft - Blue and White 'Chinoiserie' Floral Delft Plate, ca 1800.
By Delft
Located in DELFT, NL
Dutch tin-glazed earthenware plate, unmarked, decorated in underglaze blue with a Chinoiserie motif. of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees. The border with a floral garland and ochr...
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Frederick Cooper Pair of Hand-Painted Chinese Ginger Jar Lamps, 1960s
Located in Southampton, NJ
An extraordinary pair of Chinese Ginger Jar lamps with intricate Artichoke and Sunflowers floral motif; hand painted in green & gold on white porcelain. Gold bases are of wood. M...
Brass
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
22 Antique 19th C Chinese Export Canton Blue White Porcelain Dinner Salad Plates
Located in Dayton, OH
Lot of 22 antique 19th Century Chinese export Canton dinnerware.. Made from porcelain with traditional blue and white pagoda landscape design. Includes several dinner and salad pla...
Porcelain
Pair of Imari Style Sitting Cat Sculptures, Hand-painted Porcelain
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage pair of porcelain sculptures depicts sitting cats, facing each other in style of Staffordshire figurines with their faces turned towards the viewer. The cats' bodies and head...
Ceramic, Porcelain, Pottery
Pair of Japanese Turquoise Glazed Porcelain Guardian Lions, circa 1960s
Located in Elkhart, IN
A wonderfully expressive pair of vintage porcelain guardian lions, or foo dogs, dating to circa 1960s Japan. Each is finely molded and finished in a remarkably saturated turquoise gl...
Porcelain
Set of Seven Mid-20th Century Blanc de Chine Porcelain Figures of Quan Yin
Located in Elkhart, IN
A serene grouping of seven blanc de chine figures depicting Quan Yin, the bodhisattva of compassion, rendered in softly modeled white porcelain. Each figure carries subtle variation ...
Porcelain
The former First Lady kept the Victorian antique, with an elegant chinoiserie design, for the rest of her life.
Taking us on a whirlwind tour of spaces that use charming prints with aplomb, the interiors expert makes a compelling case for ditching staid solids when tackling your next decorating project.