Hand-painted and Chinoiserie Cabinets and Commodes

Chinoiserie is a French term that refers to Chinese lacquered designs. During the seventeenth century a love of all things Oriental swept over Europe. Lacquer furniture was the height of sophisticated design.  Lacquer furniture from China was introduced as early as 1613 in England, favored by Louis XIV and made even more popular in France by Madame de Pompadour during the reign of Louis XV. Highly decorated pieces included motifs such as exotic birds and flowers, pagodas and monkeys.

Hand-painted and Chinoiserie Cabinets and Accents

Chinoiserie adds a highly decorative finish to any  piece that makes it stand out in a room. A single piece can make a dramatic difference.

Chinoiserie Empress Writing Desk	Bamboo Étagère	Garden Chinoiserie Panels
Built and painted entirely by hand, this desk is a magnificent example of the art of Chinoiserie, popularized when Europeans first traveled to Asia in the early 17th century. Its fanciful landscapes are rendered in lustrous gold brushstrokes against a background of deep red lacquer.	Tall and slender, our Chinoiserie étagère makes excellent use of limited floor space, offering ample storage on its five mirrored-glass shelves. Use it in the bath to store towels and accessories, or in the bedroom or living room to showcase favorite objects. Each level is removable, increasing its versatility. A lustrous gold-leaf finish accentuates its graceful lines, crafted with bamboo-turned posts and crisscrossing sides	Golden watercolors bring to life an elaborate Chinoiserie park filled with garden follies, boats, tea houses, willows and palms - and visitors enjoying it all. The expansive scene is hand painted in golden watercolor on black rice paper and framed in gold-leafed hardwood

Chinoiserie Magnets

Presented in a gift box, our glass-topped magnets are each adorned with an image from vintage chinoiserie textiles.

Pieces imported directly from the Orient were extremely limited. To suit European tastes, European craftsmen refashioned imports to decorate western goods, or sent European furniture to the Far East to be decorated. Soon they  were working to replicate these pieces. True lacquer comes from the sap of a tree not found in the West, so they had to invent finishes that would mimic this look. In England this became known as "Japan work" or "japanning." Designs most often have a Chinese look, but can also be Japanese or Indian. In some cases, an antique combines real Chinese lacquer and English japanning. China is considered to be the birthplace of lacquer work, but Japan was the premier producer typically featuring gold lacquer on a black lacquer ground.

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Last modified: December 31, 2009