Chinoiserie: [shee-wah-zur-ee] noun

1. style of ornamentation, chiefly in the 18^th century in Europe, characterized by intricate patterns and an extensive use of motifs identified as Chinese.

2. a French term, defined as furnishings, fabrics, and accessories inspired by Chinese design. It usually bears images of an imagined and fanciful China.

Whenever I find a style particularly appealing I like to learn as much as I can about its history. What factors influenced its becoming a trend? How has it maintained its staying power? What have its various interpretations looked like over time?

The Chinoiserie Room, Walter Gay

The Chinoiserie Room, Walter Gay
Correr Museum, Venice

Really, the term “Chinoiserie” can be extended to Asian influences of many types. Over time it has become a homogenous term encompassing Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and other Eastern aesthetics. From my baby decorator days I have been obsessed with Chinoiserie. My own dining room has chairs in the Chinoiserie style around a Lucite and glass table. I love the way the complex patterns of the Chinoiserie figures, scenes, and fretwork contrast with the gleaming table.

The Birth of Chinoiserie

In the last quarter of the 17^th century, Great Britain’s East India Company became the dominant trading power in the Pacific. English merchants began importing hand painted porcelains, rich silks, and dramatic lacquer ware from China, Japan, and India. Consumers in England and on the continent became so enamored of these exotic imports that domestic artisans began reproducing the style in what came to be known as “Chinoiserie,” a French term, meaning “in the Chinese style”. The aesthetic, shaped by the use of fanciful imagery of an imaginary Orient, gained enormous popularity with the aristocracy and gentry alike.

Examples in Architecture and Interiors

Louis XV of France favored the Chinoiserie style and saw how beautifully it combined with Rococo architectural features and members of his court used it to decorate entire rooms in their Chateaux. The Chateau at Chantilly features walls and furnishings in an elaborate Chinoiserie style.

Salon des Singes at Chateau de Chantilly

Truth be told, the Singerie (a French word meaning “monkey-trick”) panels on the walls at Chateau Chantilly are actually a sub-genre of Chinoiserie, depicting fashionably attired monkeys aping human behavior.

Singerie Example

details from the elaborately painted panels in the Salon des Singes

In Potsdam, Germany, Frederick the Great built a Chinese Tea House on the grounds of the Sanssouci Summer Palace. The garden’s architect, Johnn Gottfried Büring, designed the pavilion in the Chinoiserie style mixed with ornamental rococo elements and influences of Oriental architecture.

Chinese Tea House, Potsdam

The gilded sandstone figures that sit at the feet of the columns and stand at the walls of the rooms were modeled by locals for the eating, drinking and music-making Chinese figures, which explains the statues' European features. I love the idea of gilded sandstone… the counterpoint of gleam against rough is always surprising and interesting… but that’s another blog.

Potsdam Tea House Figures

Gilded figures, Potsdam

The ceiling paintings by Thomas Huber show Oriental men behind a balustrade, some looking into the room, others chatting with one another. They are surrounded by parrots, monkeys and Buddhas sitting on posts.

hand painted ceiling, Potsdam

Among English aristocracy and gentry, Chinoiserie found its way into the decorative arts and architectural follies. At Nostell Priory in Yorkshire, English designer Thomas Chippendale used floral wallpaper murals in rooms filled with faux bamboo chairs and japanned cabinets.

Japanned cabinet with Chinoiserie wallpaper

Japanned cabinet with Chinoiserie wallpaper

Japanned cabinet by Thomas Chippendale, Nostell Priory

Chinoiserie Wallpaper Detail

Detail of Chinese wallpaper in the Dressing Room at Nostell Priory

In the south corner of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, stands the Great Pagoda designed by Sir William Chambers. Ten stories tall, each storey finishes with a projecting roof, after the Chinese manner.

Kew Pagonda

images: Google

Chinoiserie a la Dallas, Texas

Chambers’ work inspired a project of my own. For years, my husband Cole and I have been patrons of the Dallas Museum of Art, and particularly interested supporters of their Decorative Arts department. In support of the museum’s Decorative Arts Fund, which enables the museum to acquire new pieces for their permanent collection, there is an annual benefit called the Silver Supper.

In 2004 I was honored to be asked to chair this wonderful event. Along with the talents of my tireless staff and our favorite delivery and installation company, Eveready Services, not to mention countless others (floral designers, landscape designers, party rental companies, theatrical prop fabricators, and fine art and finish painters) I was able to assemble an evening for the museum’s decorative arts supporters that centered around a Chinoiserie inspires tableau.

Several tables featured pagoda centerpieces, inspired by the drawings of Sir William Chambers, especially for the event.

Hayslip Design Associates

These centerpieces were designed by me and fabricated by my talented brother, Michael Stallings and his associates at Frias Studios.

The dinner was held in the museum’s Seventeen Seventeen restaurant. While certainly beautiful, the restaurant’s modernist aesthetic didn’t support the rich classicism we were trying to achieve. An intricate series of panels allowed us to create a room within a room. The panels were dressed with hand painted Chinoiserie scenes and detailed with gilded moldings.

Hayslip Design Associates Silver Supper 2004

image: Hayslip Design Associates

Hayslip Design Associates Silver Supper 2004

image: Hayslip Design Associates

One of the most special things about the Silver Supper is the fact that the museum allows its patrons to actually use the silver that is ordinarily displayed under glass. We were able to create lavish centerpieces, like the one pictured above, using silver from the museum’s collection.

Hayslip Design Associates Silver Supper 2004

image: Hayslip Design Associates

Chinoiserie Furnishings

I wanted to share with you a couple of lovely examples of Chinoiserie furnishings. Beautiful antiques are available today either from antiques purveyors or auction houses. I’ve used several Chinoiserie pieces and elements in many clients’ homes as they lend a wonderfully exotic note to both traditional and slightly contemporary aesthetics.

Chinoiserie Secretary

image: Antiques & Fine Arts magazine

This eighteenth-century English secretary, from Antiques & Fine Arts magazine, in a rich dark green lacquer, circa 1710, is japanned with chinoiserie scenes with figures, some on horseback, mythical birds, and pavilions. It is styled with prized famille verte porcelain pieces, including four exceptional teapots and a group of inkwells.

Japanning refers to the European imitation of Asian lacquer work and was developed in 18th century England. Similar to decoupage, it involves a heavy black lacquer, almost like enamel paint and the application of paper cut outs to other items. The technique uses varnishes that have a resin base, similar to shellac, applied in heat-dried layers which are then polished, to give a smooth glossy finish. It can also come in reds, greens and blues.

A living room I created uses some beautiful examples of antique japanned furniture. Even in an Italian influenced home, with a large collection of contemporary art, the Chinoiserie pieces used in their living room enhance the feeling of a European salon.

image: Hayslip Design Associates

Another beautiful element that was extremely popular at the height of Chinoiserie’s appeal was the use of hand painted wallpapers. The first examples were imported from China by the East India Company and were known as “India Papers.” Produced in China exclusively for the European market, these papers featured exotic looking flora and fauna delicately painted in brilliant colors on paper silk.

Williamsburg Dining Room with Chinoiserie Wallpaper

Williamsburg Dining Room with Chinoiserie Wallpaper

image: Colonial Williamsburg archives

This dining room in Colonial Williamsburg, with its c. 1780 wallpaper, beautifully illustrates the exotic appeal of these India Papers. Additionally it demonstrates that Chinoiserie wasn’t just a trend in Europe but was also popular among people of wealth in the young United States.

The appeal of these wallpapers has endured and today they are still popular. I’ve used them in several projects.

In this powder room we created ornate panels by situating hand painted Gracie wallpaper within molded panels.

image: Hayslip Design Associates

In another powder room, their wallpaper, this time painted on silver gilt tea paper, was used to glimmering effect.

image: Hayslip Design Associates

The motif of birds among glided fruit trees is pure Chinoiserie. To enhance the effect we used rock crystal sconces flanking a mirror gilded in both silver and gold.

image: Hayslip Design Associates

A Design Perennial

Hayslip Design Associates

image: Hayslip Design Associates

Chinoiserie has become a perennial of interior design. I think its delicate, exotic allure will continue to draw followers who are charmed by its richly lacquered furniture, intricately woven textiles, hand painted ceramics, and delicate wallpapers. It can even find a comfortable home within a contemporary setting.

Love,
Sherry

Posted: March 13, 2012

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