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.
Malachite Rock on Display Stand Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A malachite rock specimen with intense green and black colors fitted on a wood stand and displayed as a Chinese scholar stone. The gemstone in t...
Stone
$500Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Chinese Jade & Quartz Bonsai Tree Sculpture
Located in Plainview, NY
A vintage Chinese Jade and Quartz bonsai tree. Delicately crafted, this bonsai tree boasts beautiful and colorful leaves and petals.The flowers are made on bendable wrapped wires and...
Jade, Quartz
Natural Malachite Rock on Display Stand as Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A natural malachite rock specimen with striking bright green and black colors fitted on a wood stand for viewing and meditating. The front of the gemstone features tight and small po...
Stone, Malachite
Natural Malachite Rock on Display Stand as Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A natural malachite rock specimen with striking green and black colors fitted on a wood stand for viewing and meditating. The front of the gemstone features tight and small polished ...
Stone
Natural Malachite Rock on Display Stand as Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A natural malachite rock specimen with striking bright green and black colors fitted on a wood stand for viewing and meditating. Horizontal in form, the front of the gemstone feature...
Stone, Malachite
Striking Natural Malachite Specimen on Display Stand as Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A natural malachite rock specimen in form of a mountain peak with striking green and black colors fitted on a wood stand for viewing and meditating. The front and sides of the gemsto...
Malachite
Natural Malachite Rock on Display Stand as Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A natural malachite rock specimen with striking green and black colors fitted on a wood stand for viewing and meditating. The front of the gemstone features tight and small polished botryoidal form, revealing a beautiful, mottled pattern with intense colors of contrasting green and black. The back is natural with exposed malachite fibers fused in the bedrock. The slab form rock is displayed as a viewing stone on a fitted wood base by an American collector of Chinese scholar rocks. Known as "Peacock Rock" in Chinese, there was a more recent tradition in China (from Qing Dynasty and on) to collect the exotic gemstones such as malachite and turquoise specimen...
Stone
Vintage Glazed Ceramic Lemon With Blossom
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This charming vintage glazed ceramic sculpture captures the beauty of nature with its exquisitely detailed depiction of a textured lemon or citron, adorned with vibrant green leaves,...
Ceramic
Malachite Rock on Display Stand as a Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
Displayed on a black custom carved wood stand, this solid malachite rock specimen with intense green and black colors functions as a Chinese scholar stone. The gemstone showcases the...
Stone
Large Malachite Rock on Display Stand Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A large malachite rock specimen with intense green and black colors fitted on a wood stand and displayed as a Chinese scholar stone. The gemstone in the vertical botryoidal form was ...
Stone
$2,880Sale Price|20% Off
H 18.5 in W 23 in D 10 in
Chinese Scholars Rock On Custom Hardwood Base, Large Scale, Circa 1900
Located in Stamford, CT
Chinese scholars rock, Qing dynasty, circa 1900 or earlier, mounted on a custom carved hardwood base. This is a large scale rock is a fine example, with beautiful striations of light...
Stone
Old Japanese Scholar's Stone/"Suiseki"/Appreciation Stone
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is an old vermilion suiseki from Japan. Not only in China but also in Japan, rocks from mountains have been quarried and shaped for appreciation since ancient times. These deco...
Stone
Chinese Jade Turtle Sculpture/Figure With Stand
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This a Chinese Jade Turtle Sculpture with stand. It depicts a heavy hand carved translucent light green jade turtle with a piece of silk in its mouth pulling a silk ball roll. The tu...
Jade
Chinese Cloisonné Bird on a Stand
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Fine Chinese parrot or bird expertly decorated with enamel on brass presented on a custom wood perch and lucite stand.
Metal
Brass Asian Bonsai Tree Form Sculpture
Located in Bridgehampton, NY
Brass Asian Bonsai tree form sculpture.
Bronze
$1,575
H 20 in W 27 in D 10 in
Large Vintage Chrysanthemum Hardstone Flower Bonsai Tree In Celadon Pot
Located in Norwood, NJ
This exquisite Chinese Republic jade, glass, and hardstone flower bonsai tree is a stunning example of mid-20th century craftsmanship. Known as Ming Trees, these pieces are celebrate...
Stone, Jade, Quartz
$1,000
H 4.73 in W 27.37 in D 7.49 in
Large Antique Japanese Viewing Stone / Large 67cm mountain Scholar's stone
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a Japanese suiseki viewing stone, and it is thought to be a type of stone known as "Kamogawa-ishi." Kamogawa-ishi is a stone found along the Kamo River, which flows through K...
Stone
C20th Decorative hardstone Bonsai Tree
Located in London, GB
Beautiful Decorative Bonsai Tree Porcelain Pot included Very Colourful
Glass
$975
H 10 in W 7.5 in D 6.5 in
Mid-Century Artisan Brutalist Gold Metal Bonsai Tree Sculpture on Agate Base
By Curtis Jeré
Located in St. Louis, MO
Beautiful handcrafted MCM Artisan made Brutalist Bonsai Tree on agate base table sculpture. In the organic modern style, fabricated of brazed metal with a bronze gold metal tone fini...
Agate, Metal
$550Sale Price|50% Off
H 5.75 in W 5.25 in D 3.25 in
20th Century Chinese Bronze Incense Burner in Beast Form
Located in Somis, CA
A striking Chinese bronze incense burner rendered in an archaistic style, inspired by the powerful ritual bronzes of ancient China. The v...
Bronze
Chinese "Tree Jade" Petrified Wood Specimen
Located in Chicago, IL
Like scholars' rocks, petrified, or fossilized, wood is appreciated for its natural beauty. Sometimes called "Tree Jade," petrified wood is thought to bring peace and prosperity to i...
Petrified Wood
Natural Rock Crystal Quartz Cluster on Custom Metal Stand
Located in New York, NY
A striking natural rock crystal quartz specimen, composed of a dense cluster of translucent to transparent crystals with beautifully formed points and facets. Variations in clarity, ...
Quartz, Rock Crystal
$2,650
H 20 in W 9 in D 7 in
Early 20th Century Chinese Lingbi Scholar's Rock with a Carved Wooden Stand.
Located in Stamford, CT
Early 20th century Chinese lingbi scholar's rock on a custom carved wooden stand. Scholar's rocks, also known as 'gongshi' or 'lingbi stones,' are naturally occurring stones that hav...
Stone
$1,500
H 22.5 in W 14 in D 4 in
Early 20th Century Antique Chinese Green Serpentine Scholar Rock Diety Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
Chinese, probably late 19th to early 20th century. Super heavy piece, great quality and carving to this antique scholar rock!.
Serpentine
Japanese Natural Wood Display Stand
By Craft and Folk Art Museum
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Japanese Natural Wood Display Stand A sculptural wooden display stand that preserves the irregular forms created by the natural growth of a tree. Sweeping curves of wood grain surr...
Wood
Sold
H 14.25 in W 3.75 in D 3.75 in
Neoclassical French Country Porcelain Blue and White Obelisks, Pair
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned pair of blue and white porcelain obelisks with Chinoiserie floral designs. The sculptural silhouette and classic color combination give these pieces a quie...
Porcelain
Striking Natural Malachite Specimen on Display Stand as Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A natural malachite rock specimen in form of an upright slab with striking green and black colors fitted on a wood stand for viewing and meditating. The front and sides of the gemsto...
Malachite
Neoclassical French Country Porcelain Blue and White Obelisk
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned blue and white porcelain obelisk with Chinoiserie floral designs. The sculptural silhouette and classic color combination give the piece a quietly architec...
Porcelain
Natural Malachite Rock on Display Stand as Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A natural malachite rock specimen with striking green and black colors fitted on a wood stand for viewing and meditating. The front and sides of the gemstone feature tight and small ...
Stone
Natural Malachite Rock on Display Stand as Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A natural malachite rock specimen with striking green and black colors fitted on a wood stand for viewing and meditating. The front of the gemstone features tight and small polished ...
Stone
Malachite Rock on Display Stand Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A malachite rock specimen with intense green and black colors fitted on a wood stand and displayed as a Chinese scholar stone. The gemstone in th...
Stone
Malachite Rock on Display Stand as a Chinese Scholar Stone
Located in Atlanta, GA
A malachite rock specimen with intense green and black colors fitted on a wood stand and displayed as a Chinese scholar stone. The gemstone in the botryoidal form was polished in all sides except the back with a natural fissure to reveal the beautiful swirling patterns and colors. It is displayed on a fitted wood base by an American collector of Chinese scholar rocks. Known as "Peacock Rock" in Chinese, there was a more recent tradition in China (from Qing Dynasty and on) to collect the exotic gemstones such as malachite and turquoise specimen...
Stone
Sold
H 21.26 in W 18.9 in D 18.9 in
Antique Japanese Chinese Glass Bonsai Tree Jade Green Quartz Gemstone Sculpture
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
A wonderful, highly decorative, original Bonsai tree dating from the 1940s, which is both robust and delicate. Pieces of glass have been intricately carved to form realistic leaves, ...
Crystal, Jade, Multi-gemstone, Quartz, Wire
Chinese Bone Carving of Dragons
Located in London, GB
This intricate sculpture is crafted entirely of carved bone, and rests on a rectangular plinth with canted angles. The sculpture is formed of dragons amidst waves, who breath fire th...
Bone
Sold
H 29 in W 22 in D 16 in
Pair of Large and Impressive Feldman Brass Lotus Flowers in Pots Sculptures
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Dramatic pair of Feldmen brass lotus sculptures with flowers in assorted stages of blooming. Set in chinoiserie inspired planters with Chinese characte...