Chinoiserie Furniture
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.
1880s French Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century English Chinoiserie Furniture
Ironstone
1960s American Vintage Chinoiserie Furniture
Bronze, Enamel, Pewter
1970s Vintage Chinoiserie Furniture
Paint
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
2010s American Chinoiserie Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century English Chinoiserie Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Wood
2010s Thai Chinoiserie Furniture
Wool, Bamboo
1890s English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Indonesian Chinoiserie Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Lacquer
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Chinoiserie Furniture
Silk, Velvet
Early 20th Century Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
2010s Italian Chinoiserie Furniture
Tin
2010s Italian Chinoiserie Furniture
Tin
19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Lacquer
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Brass
1920s Chinese Vintage Chinoiserie Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century English Chinoiserie Furniture
Ironstone
21st Century and Contemporary Turkestan Chinoiserie Furniture
Wool
Late 18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain, Paint
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
1880s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Marble
19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
1880s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Faience
19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Delft
Early 19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Chinoiserie Furniture
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Chinoiserie Furniture
Delft
1970s Vintage Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wool
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
1970s Vintage Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1970s Vintage Chinoiserie Furniture
Rattan, Reed, Glass
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1970s Chinese Vintage Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Furniture
Mirror, Faux Bamboo, Wood
18th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware
20th Century French Chinoiserie Furniture
Lacquer
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
2010s German Chinoiserie Furniture
Silk
1990s Chinoiserie Furniture
Foil
2010s American Chinoiserie Furniture
Paper
20th Century Southeast Asian Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Bronze
Early 1800s English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Paper