oriental furniture

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WHY BUYING CHINOISERIE THIS YEAR OF THE TIGER IS
A GOOD IDEA As the Chinese celebrate the start of
their New Year 2022, the year of the tiger, we
take a look at Chinoiserie, a design trend that
has been a roaring success since the 17th and
18th centuries. Chinoiserie is a decorative
style that reflects the art and design of the
Orient and is sometimes labelled as Chinese style
or Chinese antiques. It became popular when
trade routes opened up between Europe and Asia
for the first time and Western society embraced
the trend which is characterised by lacquered
finishes, silk, and strong designs with stylised
flower and bird motifs. Eastern influences
infiltrated everything from porcelain and
painting to fabrics and furniture, while
tea-drinking became a hugely popular pastime. At
the start of the craze, genuine Chinese artefacts
were imported but gradually a new style inspired
by the East developed and was called
Chinoiserie. There are many fine examples of
antique furniture in this gorgeous Eastern
style. European aristocracy revelled in its
exoticism. It was the inspiration behind King
Louis XIV's Trianon de Porcelaine at Versailles
and Frederick the Great's Chinese House at
Sanssouci. As the appeal and influence of
Chinoiserie continued to grow, Thomas
Chippendale adapted Chinese lacquer furniture
into a hybrid style now called ?Chinese
Chippendale' and the term ?fine china' was
adopted to describe porcelain that the Chinese
had been producing to a closely-guarded recipe
for around 2,000 years. THE POPULARITY OF
CHINOISERIE The popularity of Chinoiserie means
it has rarely been out of fashion and has seen
yet another renaissance in the past 12 months,
perhaps because of China's growing trade and
economic influence on the West and the publicity
surrounding its hosting of the 2022 Winter
Olympics. In design terms, it is also hugely
adaptable meaning Chinoiserie design can be
incorporated into both traditional and
contemporary settings, adding to its timeless
appeal. Epitomising the adaptable nature of the
style, this large mid-20th century Chinoiserie
black lacquer coffee table would be a striking
addition to any sitting room with its painted
Oriental scenes and gilt decoration.
This pretty Chinoiserie Whatnot would sit happily
in a more formal room and provide an elegant
display for ornaments. Popular in 19th Century
Victorian homes, this Whatnot with dragon
decoration, five fixed shelves, spiral columns
and turned finials, is equally at home with the
contemporary English country house vibe.
Fresh blue and white china is a timeless classic
that has stood the test of time and will add a
touch of elegance to any wall, room or dresser.
These Chinese export dishes feature a blue and
white transfer printed Chinoiserie design.
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This classic Chinioserie cabinet is wall hung
with good amount of storage space. It features a
decorative design of Chinese figures in a pagoda
garden landscape.
If Chinioserie isn't your thing, you can always
explore the wider Chinese style of furniture. A
beautiful Chinese chair or two such as these
with pierced dragon splat back will serve well as
side chairs and also draw in attention with it's
polished hardwood seats.
Visit our Eastern and Oriental Furniture section
to discover more examples of Asian furniture, or
view our Full Catalogue to explore everything we
currently have in stock. National delivery is
available.