Chinoiserie Gueridon
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.
1910s Asian Vintage Chinoiserie Gueridon
Breccia Marble
1970s Unknown Vintage Chinoiserie Gueridon
Yew
1970s Chinese Vintage Chinoiserie Gueridon
Bronze
1870s Austrian Antique Chinoiserie Gueridon
Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Gueridon
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Gueridon
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Chinoiserie Gueridon
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Gueridon
Onyx
1930s French Vintage Chinoiserie Gueridon
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Gueridon
Bronze
20th Century French Chinoiserie Gueridon
Brass
1960s German Vintage Chinoiserie Gueridon
Brass, Steel
20th Century Spanish Chinoiserie Gueridon
Iron, Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf
1960s European Vintage Chinoiserie Gueridon
Bamboo, Faux Bamboo, Wood
19th Century French Antique Chinoiserie Gueridon
Oak, Paint, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary French Chinoiserie Gueridon
Brass
20th Century Spanish Chinoiserie Gueridon
Wood, Pine
Early 20th Century French Chinoiserie Gueridon
Ormolu
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Gueridon
Iron
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Gueridon
Metal
20th Century European Chinoiserie Gueridon
Giltwood, Lacquer, Paint
Late 19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Gueridon
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Gueridon
Wood
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Gueridon
Metal
Early 20th Century English Chinoiserie Gueridon
Wood