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.
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Late 17th Century Asian Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
18th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Faience, Maiolica
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
18th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Faience, Maiolica
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Faience
18th Century European Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Faience, Maiolica
1750s English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware
1690s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
Late 17th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
Early 18th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Pewter
Late 18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Creamware, Pottery
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-18th Century German Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain, Ceramic
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
1690s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Stoneware
1690s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
17th Century Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1770s English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1750s English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Porcelain
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1690s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1690s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Faience
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
1790s English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Earthenware, Delft, Faience
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Pottery
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Faience
Mid-18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Paper
1720s Chinese Antique Chinoiserie Furniture
Ceramic