What does chinoiserie mean?
Chinoiserie refers to a European decorative style that draws on imaginative interpretations of Chinese art and design, flourishing particularly during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The word can denote either the style itself — seen in wallpapers, furniture, ceramics, and entire interiors featuring pagodas, dragons, exotic birds, and fanciful landscapes — or a specific object created in that manner. Because many European artisans had little direct knowledge of China, chinoiserie often presented a dreamlike, invented vision of the East rather than faithful copies of Chinese works. The style reached its height in the rococo period, adorning royal palaces and aristocratic homes across Europe. Today, the term is common in art history, antiques dealing, and interior design, where it carries connotations of elegance, luxury, and whimsy, while also inviting reflection on how Europe romanticized Asian culture.
A European decorative style imitating Chinese artistic motifs, especially popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.
"The palace's state apartments were furnished in lavish chinoiserie."
Typically used as an uncountable noun when referring to the style.
An object, such as a piece of furniture or ornament, made or decorated in this style.
"Her collection includes several pieces of chinoiserie acquired over decades."
Rarely used; chinoiserie is almost always treated as uncountable. The plural occasionally appears in art-historical writing to refer to multiple distinct objects or works in the style.
"The exhibition displayed chinoiseries from collections across Europe."
European craftsmen filled 18th-century palaces with 'Chinese' designs they had largely invented — most had never set foot in China.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chinoiserie
The word chinoiserie comes directly from French, formed from chinois, meaning 'Chinese,' combined with the suffix -erie, which denotes a style or collection of things. It entered English usage in the late nineteenth century, borrowing the established French term for the decorative vogue that had swept Europe since the seventeenth century. Its root ultimately derives from 'China' itself, connecting it to other terms built on the same source, such as Sinophile and Sinology.
How chinoiserie is actually used
Chinoiserie is typically used as an uncountable mass noun when referring to the style, though it can be countable when referring to individual objects. The term is used mainly in contexts of art history, interior design, and antiques, and is generally neutral to appreciative in connotation, though modern scholarship may note its idealized, often inaccurate portrayal of East Asian culture.
Easily confused with chinoiserie
Orientalism is a broad term for Western depictions of Asian cultures generally, while chinoiserie specifically refers to European decorative art imitating Chinese styles.