Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
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.
20th Century English Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood, Paint
20th Century Philippine Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood
1880s English Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Bamboo
1970s American Vintage Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Bamboo
Late 19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Jade
20th Century Southeast Asian Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood
20th Century American Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Shagreen
18th Century and Earlier British Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Early 1900s English Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Oak
20th Century American Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Walnut
18th Century and Earlier British Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
20th Century English Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Walnut
1990s Indonesian Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood, Paint
1980s American Vintage Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood
1970s American Vintage Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Smoked Glass, Mahogany, Burl
1980s American Vintage Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood
1980s French Vintage Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Lacquer
19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Lacquer
19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century British Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Brass
20th Century English Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood, Paint
20th Century American Chinoiserie Card Tables and Tea Tables
Wood, Lacquer