Chinoiserie Game 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.
Late 18th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Game Tables
Gesso, Wood, Lacquer
1970s North American Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Leather, Rosewood
1940s Chinese Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Chinoiserie Game Tables
Leather, Wood
1930s French Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Beech
Late 19th Century British Antique Chinoiserie Game Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Game Tables
Rosewood
Late 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Game Tables
Wood
1930s British Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Lacquer
1960s Italian Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Fabric, Wood
1970s American Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Goatskin, Parchment Paper
Late 20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Game Tables
Steel
Early 20th Century American Chinoiserie Game Tables
Leather, Wood, Mahogany
1970s Italian Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Fabric, Plywood
Early 20th Century French Chinoiserie Game Tables
Mahogany
1970s Italian Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Faux Bamboo, Cane, Glass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Game Tables
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Game Tables
Wood, Lacquer
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Game Tables
Glass, Wood, Lacquer, Paint
Early 19th Century British Antique Chinoiserie Game Tables
Wood
20th Century American Chinoiserie Game Tables
Mirror, Wood, Paint
1980s French Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Lacquer
19th Century Antique Chinoiserie Game Tables
Marble
19th Century British Antique Chinoiserie Game Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Game Tables
Oak
1950s American Vintage Chinoiserie Game Tables
Wood
