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.
Beautiful antique silk Japanese Embroidery « the tigers »
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice antique Japanese embroidery with beautiful design with tigers, and with nice natural colours in hues of yellow, green, brown and black , entirely...
Silk
Beautiful antique silk Japanese Embroidery «village»
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice antique Japanese embroidery with beautiful design with a village and a river, and with nice natural colours in hues of yellow, green, brown and black , entirely hand embroidered...
Silk
$80Sale Price|20% Off
1940s Chinese Vintage Silk Embroidery of Framed Phoenix Birds
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Chinese vintage embroidery silk on silk of phoenix birds on a brunch with signed inscription, in a bamboo like profiled frame.
Silk
Silk Embroidery Artwork in a Gilt Frame, France, 19th Century
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Silk embroidery depicting two guardian lions, framed in a gilt frame, 19th century. An elegant, hand-embroidered silk piece depicting two Foo lions (or imperial guardian dogs) surrounding a symbolic central medallion. Executed with exquisite detail in cream, blue, brown, and beige tones, this circular composition exemplifies the refinement of Asian-inspired textile arts from the late 19th century. The richness of the embroidery stitches highlights the details of the mythological creatures as well as the stylized clouds that encircle them. Presented under glass in a circular gilt frame with a turquoise blue mat, the work is displayed with particular elegance. At the crossroads of Oriental influences and the European taste for the exotic, this decorative piece is a beautiful collector's item for enthusiasts of textile art, Orientalism, and antique decoration. Style : Orientalist Asian Decorative Arts Traditional Chinese 19th Century Eclecticism Antique Textile Art Collectible Decoration Key Features : Hand-embroidered silk Depicts two mythological guardian lions Circular composition Antique gilt frame Turquoise blue mat Finely executed textile work 19th century Decorative and collectible object Keywords : silk embroidery artwork, antique silk embroidery, Chinese guardian lions, foo dog embroidery, orientalist wall art, framed silk textile, antique Asian textile, embroidered silk panel, gilt frame artwork, 19th century embroidery, antique silk embroidery, framed Chinese embroidery...
Silk, Giltwood
Beautiful antique wool and metal Chinese Embroidery
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice antique Chinese embroidery with beautiful design with flowers, birds and butterflies, and with nice natural colours with a red background, entirely hand embroidered with silk, w...
Metal
Antique Distressed Chinese Panel Embroidery
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very beautiful late 19th century Chinese embroidery with Chinese inscription and design and beautiful natural colors, entirely hand embroidered with silk and inscription with golden,...
Silk
Bobyrug’s Beautiful Vintage Chinese Silk Embroidery
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice mid century large Chinese silk embroidery with beautiful floral design with birds and nice colors, entirely hand embroidered with silk on ...
Silk
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Framed Chinese Garden Rose Colored Tapestry Silk Style Vintage Textile Art
Located in Lomita, CA
This pastel-colored tapestry depicts imperial Chinese life in all its elegance, and the beauty is in the details.. The Chinese-style tapestry is framed in a black accent picture fram...
Silk
Bobyrug’s Wonderful Mid-Century Silk Chinese Art Deco Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very beautiful mid-century Chinese silk rug with beautiful Chinese design and nice colors with a beautiful yellow field color. Entirely hand knotted with silk velvet on silk foundati...
Silk
Beautiful Vintage Asian Dragon Embroidery
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice embroidery panel with dragon design entirely hand embroidered with silk on silk Dragon designs are on relief.
Silk
Mid-19th Century Wool and Silk French Chinoisere Tapestry
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This handwoven French Chinoisere tapestry is made in wools and silks, depicting a Chinese couple seated and eating around a table with a figure in the background holding a Chinese st...
Wool, Silk
Wonderful antique silk and golden metal Chinese rich Embroidery
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very beautiful and antique Chinese embroidery with beautiful design with birds, dogs, symbols and scriptures, and with nice natural colours with a red brown background, entirely hand...
Metal
Bobyrug’s Beautiful Vintage Chinese Art Deco Little Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Exquisite Beijing Chinese rug adorned with a captivating design and vibrant colors. Meticulously hand-knotted with wool velvet on a cotton foundation. The intricate pattern, featurin...
Wool
Bobyrug’s Beautiful Vintage Silk Chinese Embroidery
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice mid century large Chinese silk embroidery with beautiful floral design with birds and nice colors, entirely hand embroidered with silk on silk foundation, probably for a cushion...
Silk
Bobyrug’s Nice Little Antique Chinese Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Exquisite late 19th-century Chinese rug featuring a stunning Chinese design, adorned with a captivating blue field color. Meticulously hand-knotted with wool velvet on a cotton found...
Wool, Cotton
Bobyrug’s pretty Vintage Little Chinese Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Beautiful 20th century Chinese pictural rug, entirely hand knotted with wool velvet on cotton foundation. ✨✨✨ "Experience the epitome of luxury and craft...
Wool, Cotton
$822Sale Price|30% Off
Oriental Figural Camel Bat Tent Decoration Wall Hanging Textile Tapestry 132"
Located in Dayton, OH
Large antique Oriental cross stitch Bayeux style textile / tent decoration or tapestry featuring primitive figures / warriors, camels, birds, bats, antelope / deer and geometric acce...
Textile
Beautiful Vintage silk and metal Chinese Embroidery dragon design
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice mid century Chinese silk embroidery with beautiful design with two dragons and nice colours with a red background, entirely hand embroidered with silk and metal on silk foundati...
Silk
Beautiful Vintage French Jaquar Woven Chinese Design
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Beautiful Chinese design machine woven tissue with blue and green colors, wool and cotton. Take a look at other Bobyrug items! , search by "Bobyrug" !
Wool
Bobyrug’s Wonderful Vintage Chinese Beijing Silk Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Discover the elegance of this exquisite mid-century Chinese Beijing rug featuring a stunning Chinese design in vibrant blue, brown, and touches of green on a luxurious beige backgrou...
Silk
Chinoiserie Style Silk Embroidery After Boucher's Chinese Hunting Scene
By Alexander's Collection, François Boucher
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Chinoiserie Style Silk Embroidery After Boucher's Chinese Hunting Scene Elevate your interior with a masterpiece of textile art. This exquisite hand-embroidered silk tapestry brings ...
Silk
Fine silk hand-embroidery, meticulously recreating François Boucher's Design
By Alexander's Collection, François Boucher
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Fine silk hand-embroidery, meticulously recreating François Boucher's Design This unique, one-of-a-kind tapestry is a masterpiece of fine silk hand-embroidery, meticulously recreatin...
Silk
$23,500
W 39 in L 90 in
1850s Blue Scene Pictorial Qing Chinese Silk Kesi Textile 3'3" x 7'6" Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Mid 19th Century Chinese Silk Kesi Textile ( 3'3" x 7'6" - 99 x 229 ) Antique Chinese – Textile Medallion Flat Weave Rug, Country of Origin: China, Circa Date: 1850s. This extraordi...
Silk
$2,700
H 0.25 in W 36 in D 36 in
1920s Red Foo Dogs Antique Chinese Silk Embroidery 3' x 3' Wool Woven Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Early 20th Century Chinese Silk Embroidery ( 3' x 3' x 92 x 92 ) Antique Textile Small Scatter Size Wool Red Rug, Circa Date: 1925. This exceptional piece, though titled as a wool r...
Silk
Framed Antique Japanese Silk Embroidery Fukusa Textile Panel
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Japanese Fukusa Panel with tassels displayed in a gilt frame circa Meiji Period. Fukusa is a traditional Japanese textile art used as a...
Silk, Wood
Framed Antique Chinese Embroidery Panel Qing Dynasty Provenance
Located in Atlanta, GA
An antique Chinese embroidery panel, originally the sleeve band of a robe from Qing Dynasty, circa 19th century. Nicely presented as a...
Silk, Wood
Exhibited Framed Fine Chinese Embroidery Silk Panel Qing Dynasty
Located in Atlanta, GA
A very fine embroidered silk panel in giltwood frame originally from the Annette Martin Collection and exhibited at the Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco February 8th - Mar...
Silk, Giltwood
$476Sale Price|20% Off
H 21.5 in W 25.5 in D 1 in
Vintage Japanese Framed Silk Embroidery Tapestry of Red Mount Fuji at Dawn Dusk
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, hand stitched Japanese silk embroidery/tapestry featuring a glowing red Mount Fuji (in the early morning dawn light or later dusk) rising above the undulating ocean like...
Silk, Wood
French 19th Century Large Gilt Wood Framed Tapestry
Located in Carmine, TX
Beautiful 19th-century French tapestry depicting a romantic pastoral scene with elegantly dressed figures gathered in a lush countryside landscape. Richly woven in soft, muted tones ...
Giltwood, Tapestry
$1,920Sale Price|20% Off
H 40.5 in W 30.5 in D 3 in
French Aubusson Tapestry in Giltwood Frame, 19th Century, with Garden Scene
Located in Houston, TX
Louis XVI-Style giltwood frame with circular reeded columns on each side embellishes This French Aubusson tapestry which depicts a romantic couple in a garden setting, The scene is...
Wool, Giltwood
Antique Chinese Embroidery Textile 8" x 8"
Located in New York, NY
Antique Chinese Embroidery, Origin: China, Circa: Late 19th Century
Silk
Antique Japanese Export Silk Embroidery Americana Patriotic Panel
Located in Atlanta, GA
A silk embroidery panel that depicts an American eagle perched on the liberty shield, with laurel branches and shooting arrows under the feet and flanked by four American flags and b...
Silk, Wood
$2,100Sale Price|30% Off
H 10.63 in W 8 in D 0.07 in
Fine Quality Embroidery on Silk - Qing Dynasty, China, Mid 19th Century
Located in Chatham, ON
Antique fine quality - Qing Dynasty - forbidden or seed stitch silk embroidery panel - metallic and silk threads - densely packed embroidery on a light weight damask pattern silk - m...
Silk
19th Century Continental Silk Embroidery Of A Resting Parrot
Located in Atlanta, GA
This finely executed silk embroidery depicts a parrot perched in profile upon a branching limb, presented with an elegant economy of setting that recalls the decorative natural hist...
Silk, Giltwood
Sold
H 39.38 in W 27.56 in D 0.08 in
Wall Decoration In Style of François Boucher Silk Handmade Embroidered Tapestry
By Alexander's Collection, François Boucher
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Wall Decoration In Style of François Boucher Silk Handmade Embroidered Tapestry Add a touch of timeless elegance to your home decor with our exquisite tapestry inspired by the works ...
Silk
Sold
H 39.38 in W 27.56 in D 0.08 in
Wall Decoration In Style of François Boucher Silk Handmade Embroidered Tapestry
By Alexander's Collection, François Boucher
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Wall Decoration In Style of François Boucher Silk Handmade Embroidered Tapestry Add a touch of timeless elegance to your home decor with our exquisite tapestry inspired by the works ...
Silk
Chinese 17th Century Imperial Four Clawed Mang Dragon Badge
Located in Dallas, TX
Chinese Late 17th Century Imperial Four Clawed Mang Dragon Badge. Silk embroidery worn on robes by Imperial family members. The Four Clawed “Mang” dragon was assigned to the Emperor...
Silk
Belgian Verdant Tapestry, Early 20th Century
Located in Chicago, IL
An early 20th Century Belgian tapestry featuring a lush verdant woodscape design with bird motifs in rich blue, green and taupe hues. It has a navy border, a cream backing and beauti...
Fabric
Impressive Large French Aubusson Wool Tapestry
Located in Bradenton, FL
A Massive French 18th Century Aubusson Wool Tapestry with a picturesque scene with Antico Temples in a Palm Tree Landscape. Exotic Birds rest surro...
Textile, Wool
Sold
H 26.5 in W 18.5 in D 1.25 in
6 Vintage Chinese Silk Embroidered Peacock Bird Pinetree Tapestry Panels
Located in Dayton, OH
"Set of six vintage framed Chinese chinoiserie silk embroidered tapestry panels featuring Peacocks / birds amidst the landscapes of gnarled pine tree and flowering branches. # Chinese Pinyin - Translation (Literally) 1. ???? - què wu yíng chun - bird dance welcome spring 2. ???? - què wu song feng - bird dance pine wind 3. ???? - song píng què wu - pine fan bird dance 4. ???? - què píng chun sè - bird fan spring scenery 5. ???? - chun nuan hua kai - spring warm, flower bloom 6. ???? - zhú bào chun méi - bamboo report spring plum Translation (Semantically) (1) birds are dancing and welcoming the return of spring (2) birds are dancing with breeze in the pine forest (3) pine fans like a peacock while birds are dancing (4) bird fans its tail for the beautiful spring (5) in the warm spring...
Silk
Nice Little Antique Chinese Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Beautiful late 19th century Chinese rug with beautiful Chinese design and blue field color, entirely hand knotted with wool velvet on cotton foundation.
Wool
Beautiful Little Chinese Silk Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice vintage Chinese silk rug with beautiful design decorative, and beautiful light colors, entirely hand knotted with silk velvet on silk foundation. Size: 61 x 93 cm.
Silk
18th Century Japanese Kesa
Located in Chicago, IL
A fantastic 18th century Japanese Kesa constructed of pieced silk fragments with patterns of swirling phoenix and turbulent clouds, mounted on a linen co...
Silk
Beautiful 20th Century Chinese Embroidery
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice embroidery with birds and flowers design and beautiful colors, silk embroidered on cotton foundation.
Silk
Pair of Framed Chinese Military Rank Badges
Located in Stamford, CT
Pair of 19th century framed Chinese military rank badges. Each badge features a central tiger motif, indicating 4th rank. Midnight blue silk backing with mu...
Wood, Silk
Chinoiserie Wall Covering, 18th-19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Polychrome chinoiserie oil painting on canvas, depicting people on a boat in front of a Chinese-style garden scene, surrounded by flower garla...
Canvas