The company I work for has done reproduction Chinoiserie furniture, and the woman who paints the Chinoiserie for us is of European origin, but she has taught several Korean-American women her technique, and they have then left her employ to work on their own and compete with her.

Other cultures and societies imitate European/Western art, and so it is not a one-way street of Europeans imitating other cultures.

As a child I was fascinated with Blue Willow-ware and wanted to know more about the stories that were depicted. Fortunately I had a cousin who was getting his PhD at Harvard and was studying abroad in Hong Kong, and when he would visit me, he taught me about Chinese culture. Later he became a professor of Chinese language at Columbia, which unfortunately was not close to where I lived at the time, but we did keep in touch. I have always wondered why Chinese history (and Indian for that matter) was not taught much in high school, since China and India have the largest populations. I think that having cultural items such as art pieces does help, however.

Personally, I am very much influenced by Zapotec art and other art found in Oaxaca. I found it very interesting that the Mixtec patterns in Oaxaca so closely resembled patterns in ancient Greece, even though they were very separate cultures. Frank Lloyd Wright was inspired by Mayan art, and Art Deco buildings in Mexico City have beautiful Deco patterns inspired by Aztec art. I think it is wonderful when two design styles or cultures can mesh.

Have you studied the Italian Futurist movement? Their manifesto called for a destruction of all previous art so that something new could be created, and they then expected their own creations to be temporal.

Too many big words--can't help tou

I came to the collection of Chinese porcelain through an appreciation of chinoiserie and such European porcelain as 18th century Meissen with its frequent depictions of what they thought Oriental people looked like. When I think about the ravishing of other cultures by first European and then American influences, each in its own way, one by conquest and the other by a superimposition of the most superficial aspects of American culture on native cultures, I feel a great deal of despair. I don't study Chinese history deeply because most of it is just about as bloodthirsty, cruel, unfeeling and class-conscious as anything you will ever find in the world, not even to factor in frequent natural disasters and ever-looming and present horrific famines. That is the reality, and what I want to do is enjoy the artistic achievements of this culture which for some reason speaks to me strongly even though almost every element is entirely foreign to me. I know of European and American collectors who live in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Japan, some of whom have married into that culture, and all of whom understand deeply what that culture is about. Their immersion is total and their knowledge wide-ranging, in addition to knowing most of what there is to know about Chinese porcelain, or at least several parts of it. I had to confine myself mainly to 18th century export ware, and in part I think that was because it is close to chinoiserie, and you will see such depictions as "Deutsche Blumen, created by the Chinese to cater to their European and American markets. That makes it more accessible to me. However, I'm also fascinated by burial figures such as horses with riders or high-ranking noblemen, and am fortunate to possess an example of each. I'm afraid I haven't really answered your questions, or made a meaningful contribution to this discussion, except to see, as you have also stated, that chinoiserie can be a pathway to the real thing, as well as being enjoyed for its own lighthearted take on Chinese style, often done with superb craftsmanship and taste. I only own one rather poor example, a heavily potted English plate of that era depicting Chinese figures, which is a far cry from the high levels of artistry which were achieved by the masters. However, it is still a piece of history that I can touch and appreciate, as are the too me far more meaningful pieces of Chinese art of that period, and also the pieces I own that are of an earlier or later time period. The knowledge and visual appreciation I have gained have been priceless.

I think that new styles never spring fully formed from an individual artists mind. They are always pulling from what was done by their predecessors, by their contemporaries, or, yes, what they are exposed to from other cultures. I am confident that many, if not most, artists want to be original, but if you look at the history of art you'd be hard pressed to find turning points that can't be tied to some kind of influence from somewhere. And if someone does come up with something awesome and original, they will have contemporaries who jump on the bandwagon and and take inspiration from the innovator. That's how you get trends and artistic movements.

I think you can look at cooking/restaurant trends for another example. California cuisine, Tex-Mex. Actually, a lot of "Mexican" food in America bears little resemblance to what is served in Mexico. I've seen old recipe books from when Italian cuisine was just starting to make inroads into the rest of America (meaning other than Italian immigrants)--red sauce made using ketchup, bleah! When planning a restaurant outing with friends, the first question is always, "What are you in the mood for?" and the answer, more often than not, is an ethnicity: Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Sushi, Italian. Some of those restaurants are run by Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Japanese, or Italian people, but many of them are not (we have lots of Korean-owned sushi restaurants, for reasons I don't understand).

Do I think it is damaging to originality and creativity? Not really. To use the cooking example, we wouldn't have American pizza if Americans hadn't culturally appropriated Italian food. You can get pizza in Italy, but it's a different animal. Even in the U.S., you have New York style and Chicago style, cracker crust, deep dish, stuffed crust. You've got pizza with goat cheese and potatoes, barbecued chicken, arugula with vinaigrette, along with pepperoni and mushroom. California cuisine grew out of a mix of cultural influences combined with a commitment to fresh local ingredients.

I love all things Chinoiserie and make no apologies for it.

It is a Thing, and has been a thing for centuries, for decorative and artistic themes and elements from one country or culture to be used (I refuse to use the term appropriated) by another in a form that may seem watered down to members of the original culture from whom borrowed. (At this point, well after they're dead.) So what if I want wallpaper in a Chinese motif but in colors that suit MY liking? So what if I want a pair of giant, never-to-be-found-in-England-size Staffordshire dogs? The Brits and Chinese may think it is tacky.....do I care? Answer comes that I do not.

Adding that I am more interested in the context of these elements in the room itself rather than in a reimagining of some historical injustice in liking another's culture enough to copy it in some way. Whatever happened to the notion that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

How exactly do you pronounce Chinoiserie? I feel like I am always saying it wrong, though I've looked up the phonetic spelling on line. :)

Try this, Elizabeth: Shinwoseree

sheen wah zeree

A variant of "Chinoiserie" was in Mexico, when they saw the small number of laquered cabinets coming into Acapulco and it morphed into "Spanish Colonial".

And the "Japonaise" movement after Perry was another example of flamboyant adaptation.

People could not afford the real thing, so they picked what appealed to them and ran with it.

It's more sympathetically known as "cultural cross-pollination".

Thanks for the help, Ingrid and kswl2! :-)

Chinoiserie was so much more than porcelain. It encompassed many different types of furniture, lamps, beds, wallpaper, really whole rooms if that was what you wanted. It would have appealed more to many Europeans than the rather spare and straightlined furniture that the Chinese actually used. It was a sort of Rococo version that we see even now in high-end decorator dining rooms wallpapered with beautiful scenes of exotic locales, complete with elephants and camels and large scenes of Oriental or even Western people engaged in all sorts of pursuits. I think the answer is more complex than just the pursuit of money. People were fascinated by a world that was just becoming known to them, and their interpretations of it is a source of wonder and beauty that even now, when I collect antique Chinese pieces, is a whole separate enjoyment, at least to look at, since Chinoiserie of a high caliber is incredibly expensive.

Random comments.

1. I have been looking for vintage art (birds) and I initially got over 10k results in an eBay search. When I removed the words "Asian" and "Oriental" my results dropped down to just over 1K. Much of the art out there in my search, however, is created directly by people in Asia (China mostly) but I suspect it has been created for people outside of Asia.

2. Like Kswl I make no apologies for my Chinoiserie as long as it is not a caricature.

3. Isn't there some quote about, a good artist copies, a great one steals?

4. I am white. My mom learned Spanish as an adult. She co-founded a dual-language public school. I was a bilingual teacher. So, is it cultural appropriation because we both profited from Spanish when we are not Latinas?

anele, I don't know if this is important to you, but anything sold from China nowadays is 99.99% certain to be fake. In spite of that their prices are fairly high because they know that many casual buyers will not know that. It's a terrific scam but unfortunately it works for them.

I don't think anyone should have to apologize for liking Chinoiserie. It was a genuine artistic happening at a certain time in history which resulted in many beautiful creations. When it comes to your home, you are the only person who has any right to judge what you put into it.

If teaching a language that is not your own than any of us who speak more that one language are also practicing the same thing. I think the OP was referring to something on a much larger scale.

I'm very torn about Orientalism in art in general because...I do love it. Aesthetically, the unrealistic and anachronistic ways Western artists interpreted what they thought was happening in the near and far East really speaks to me because it was so unrestrained, fantastical and often technically brilliant. I love the look or feel of this trend in visual art, decor, architecture and music. Perhaps more palatable in Russian art and music which straddled East and West.

I agree that it is cultural appropriation. On the other hand, cultural appropriation often has a connotation that a superior culture co-opts a weaker culture's artistic production for profit and pleasure and with little return of this profit to the originators. I don't think of the Chinese culture (or Japanese for that matter) as being weak. Although I realize China did suffer from Western imperialism and unequal trade relationships, it's now arguably (inarguably?) the most important nation in the world.

Others: Japonisme, Turquerie, Indian influence in British art and architecture, classical revival, Egyptian revival

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/0-9/19th-century-design-styles/

Ooh, I kind of like all of these style guides

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/d/design-styles/

Ingrid, fake in what sense? You mean items said to be antiques? I don't buy anything of value anyway, and for my art search, I was specifically removing the Asian art because the ones in my price range are same old, same old. And my point is also, if we aren't supposed to be buying interior deco influenced by Asia, good luck.

I agree with you about not apologizing, though my 14 y.o. daughter tells me of the debates that go on on Tumblr re: cultural appropriation. While I absolutely see countless examples of cultural exploitation, there is a drastic difference between that and honoring, appreciating, studying, etc. a different culture. Seems the new way is to lump the two together.

Re: my language example- I said it tongue in cheek, but my daughter says the Tumblr people would have unkind words for me.

Repeating everything kswl said! You can never go wrong with Chinoisserie, and loved it before I even knew there was a name for the Asian patterns. Years ago I had slate blue/gray/ivory drapes in a Shumacher bird pattern. I remember seeing the 'word' on the edge of the sample fabric, but it meant nothing to me. I just knew I loved the pattern! Needless to say, I left those gorgeous custom draperies when we sold the home since they matched the slate blue carpeting to a T. It has definitely found it's way into Traditional decorating, but really, it was the Victorians who used it so nicely in their homes.

As for 'fake', the same goes for many of the French furnishings, unless you're shopping at a very, VERY upscale shop. I''ve purchased many pieces from a local auction house, and while they may have a few peices original from the country, I suspect most are Chinese imports. As long as there is even one piece, they can advertise as it being 'French Furniture Auction.' I'm not an expert on French Antiques, but do know the furniture i've purchased would have been thousands of $$$, whereas I only spent a few hundred. Antique Roadshow won't be coming to my home any time soon, and i'm ok with that.

Lots of great food for thought here. I should mention, I (the person posting, not Antique and Art Exchange) have been working with Antique and Art Exchange since I was 17 doing mostly photography/image editing/data entry, so this field is relatively new to me.

As such, I would like to think that it is at least somewhat amusing that someone my age has some interest in this field, even if my questions and the types of discussions I am starting might be ones that have been had a million times over.

I loved hearing about the Zapotec art as well as Frank L Wright's interest in Mayan art. The Italian Futurist Movement also sounds quite interesting, even if its goal seems quixotic and (somewhat) unrealistic. I would try and make an argument for modernity and perhaps against the futurist movement, pulling from Marshall Berman's "All That Is Solid Melts Into Air", and say that it is possible to create new art movements that find ways of incorporating preexisting movements.

This leads me to another question, one that is of particular interest to me-- what are the most bold and surprising ways you have seen Chinoiserie get used in a home? I think that there is a place for antiques in the modern home, but one thing that the industry struggles to do, particularly amongst my demographic, is to present itself in a way that as appealing to younger sensibilities. I think this issue can only really be attacked by giving future customers (most in my demographic are about a decade away from being able to actually settle down and furnish a house) visual context for how these places can be used in non-orthodox ways.

anele, yes by fake I mean not an antique, probably pulled out of the kiln two weeks earlier, but bearing on the bottom the mark of a certain dynasty, and made to look as though it is in that style. Sellers on the internet will manage to imply, without actually saying the words, that you are buying a precious antique that you will treasure the rest of your life, never mind that it cost about $20 to make and it's being sold for $500.

The idea of using Chinoiserie in a modern home is an interesting one but I'm a little doubtful about it. For one, the real thing is generally going to be quite expensive, and I think would be viewed more as a curiosity than anything else unless you are already familiar with this art form. Whether this Rococo creation would even marry well with a truly modern interior seems rather questionable to me. Genuine Chinese pieces, especially those made before the 16th century, tend to have more simple lines and less color than later pieces, and so can be integrated into a home with mostly straight lines and minimalist decor. Chinoiserie would seem to be more problematic unless the decor is more traditional.

Economically, china/pottery/ceramics were far and away the hugest factor, more fortunes were made from teapots than chinoise furniture. Market penetration was also greater, so I make the argument that ceramics is the best exemplar of this cultural appropriation phenom. If you pursuit is constrained to furniture and forsakes all other artifacts, you're studying the fly and ignoring the elephant.

Dismiss it at your own risk.

Casey

I don't know that it was stated here that furniture was the primary focus of Chinoiserie. That would be far from the case, although in books about Chinoiserie many pieces of furniture are discussed and illustrated. When you refer to fortunes made from porcelain/ceramics I presume you're referring to Chinese production, not Chinoiserie, which was made in Europe. Given that, I'm a little confused about what you're trying to say.

A&AE, I have been following this discussion with great interest, because I am going to be decorating with some pieces in the future that are "Japonisme," which is Chinoiserie's cousin, lol! My mom lived in Japan for a year back in the mid 50's and brought back a ton of stuff. Some of it was made more for European tastes. Also, she lived in SF for three years after that and bought a lot of Japanese influenced things to go with what she brought back. I have inherited it all now. So I tend to love Asian influenced things but also I have a style that can be described as "sentimental" or as I call it, "cozy granny" because most of the stuff I like hasn't been in style since granny's day or even great great grandma. I've always liked antiques, but at my age, things that are considered antiques today are the MCM stuff I grew up with. When I was a kid back then, that was NOT the definition of antique! I like stuff from the late 1800's through Art Deco. I like Victorian, but couldn't live with most of it. Arts and crafts is one of my favorite styles and that definitely had an Asian influence.

I don't know if Chinoiserie has ever been extremely popular, but right now I am up against a couple of trends which I think are also influencing how a younger generation might view Chinoiserie. One is gender, because my SO for whatever reason, is very strongly against floral things. My dad didn't like floral things all that much either, but he often just acquiesced to my mom and that was fairly typical I think of male/female relationships in the last century and maybe even the one before that. The home was the typical purvey of the "woman of the house" and Chinoiserie was popular with them. I think there is a great deal of sexism in considering certain colors and motif's "feminine" but it's out there and prevalent so there you go. My SO certainly suffers from that cultural conditioning. So now that men are taking a more active role in home-making (at least some men, my SO included) and marital relations are looked at more as a partnership, there's a lot more influence of taste that might be considered "masculine" in the home, from color palettes to art and furniture styles, like the "industrial" trend. Not to say that men don't like florals and women don't like gears, but I know in my decorating dilemmas, it is often gears vs flowers and we tend to compromise on styles and designs that are less extreme--abstracts, geometric stuff, etc.

I'm not sure what will bring about a revival of the taste for Chinoiserie or even Victorian or antique anything. Folks are more transient nowdays and aren't as inclined to devote themselves to a set aesthetic in their homes. They want a flexible look. So I think individual pieces of Chinoiserie will always be popular, like art, dishes, fabrics and accent furniture. I think the total look will remain popular with only a few folks who can afford it. Because of the transience, I am afraid the days of those gorgeous Chinoiserie influence wallpapers are gone forever, at least in big common spaces in homes. While I love the look, even I myself would not go for it, because I would want to be able to more easily change out the look of a room from season to season or year to year. But I have little vignettes of Japonisme all around my current home. When I have some time, I may post some of them. Here's a quickie, just something I totally threw together. The framed pictures are very old calendar pics that my mom had from back in the 50's in SF. They are just there right now to fill up the space and hide the very ugly white back of the shelving units. They will go on the wall eventually, and my mom's collection of Japanese dolls will go in the unit when I get it properly set up and the glass doors installed.

I pinkmountain:

"My mom lived in Japan for a year back in the mid 50's and brought back a
ton of stuff. Some of it was made more for European tastes."

A long time ago I read a book on Chinese decorative arts, which talked at length about Chinese "export" decor industry that developed as far back as 18th century when Chinoiserie became fashionable in Europe. Those were items made to suit Western tastes. They were produced in large amounts and often were characterized by garish colors and simplified or exaggerated details. Apparently, some of the stuff was passed as an "antique" once it reached Europe.

The book featured comparison spreads with photos of pieces made for export vs the art made for domestic consumption. The items produced for domestic market typically were more refined in details and subdued in color. Perhaps they were considered too bland for more exuberant Western tastes (think Baroque, Rococo or Victorian).

Unfortunately, I can't recall the author and title of the book. I knew a couple who were in a diplomatic service in China for several years in the 50's, I think. They had a lot of Chinese decor in their home. Half of it, at least, would qualify as high end art. There was a set of very fine silk tapestries that looked like paintings unless you put your nose to them. The tapestries depicted various landscapes in muted gray-green colors. They gave me a beautiful small tapestry as a gift.

I visited a couple of Oriental decor shops in my city here in the U.S. They were a complete disappointment. Garish, often crudely made stuff - nothing like I saw in that family's home.

This said, there are also examples of quality Chinoiserie, including some higher end Chinese export items. But those pieces would be much more expensive than the regular decor stuff.

My view is that many Chinoiserie and Japonisme pieces go well with more modernistic styles. Art Deco, Arts and Crafts and MCM drew a good deal of inspiration from Oriental cultures.

Here's some more of the "Japonisme" art of my mom's. The hideous faux bamboo frames and pea green matting was something an interior decorator convinced her to do in the late 80's. The original frames were black, with ecru matting. The silver pins are Thai, and the little dolls part of her Japanese doll collection. The pictures came from Japan, but I read up on them and they were done for the tourist trade. i still love them though. No artist is listed on them. She has other more refined pieces, like lacquer ware that my friend from Japan says you can't even get anymore and some gorgeous wood block prints. Fans, fabrics, china pieces, ivory carvings, even a silver sake set. She had it all shipped back in tea boxes, which are probably somewhat valuable too. I loved all those pieces as a little girl, so will be keeping them. Starting to cry just thinking about it.

lana, I think there is a bit of confusion in your mind about Chinese porcelain. Export porcelain is considered to be genuine Chinese porcelain by collectors because that is where it was manufactured in the 18th century. They are not "fakes", they are genuinely well over two hundred years old. Anything over 100 years old is considered an antique. Even though it was made in a style favored by Europeans and Americans, many of the pieces were of high quality, and it is not Chinoiserie because it was not created in Europe. The "Oriental decor shops" you visited were no doubt filled with fakes imported from China and made in the last few years. Antiques in the Chinese style do indeed have a different appearance, often much simpler, but that all depends on the time period. There is a huge variation in Chinese pottery/porcelain over the course of many dynasties and thousands of years.

The following picture is a part of my collection of antique Chinese porcelain, and most of these pieces are "export" porcelain (which does not have a mark on the bottom) and a few are pieces made for the Chinese. I don't think any of these are garish, but it's often in the eye of the beholder.

This rectangular plate is made for the Chinese market, complete with authentic dynasty seal on the bottom, but it is rather colorful. The three blue and white pieces above it are all 18th century export pieces as is the rather elegant gray and white cup and saucer set to the right of the square Chinese plate.

I'm sorry to disagree about the styles you mentioned above marrying well with Chinoiserie, although I think they would do quite well with Japonisme. The Japanese learned about porcelain from the Chinese but over the centuries their styles for the most part diverged quite a bit. However, we have to consider that Japonisme is no more Oriental than Chinoiserie is.

Ingrid,

The book I mentioned was not specifically about Chinese porcelain. It was about Chinese decor and Chinoiserie in general, including paintings, furniture, textiles, etc. I took no special interest in Chinese porcelain, so I'm definitely not as knowledgeable about it as you. You have so many beautiful pieces!

I'm sure there was a wide variation in the quality and design of the Chinese export pieces. I did a quick Google search and the Wiki articles that came up echo both the book I mentioned and your opinion.

Wikipedia: Chinese Export Porcelain

Wikipedia: Chinese Ceramics

Most of my knowledge of Chinoiserie came from my interest in furniture. Chinoiserie was popular in European Art Deco, and they re-appeared in the mid-century designs as well. In fact, I believe Chinoiserie never really disappeared, although its popularity waxed and waned. Pieces in this style can work well as accents in a more laconic interior design.

French Art Deco cabinet by Jean Pascaud

Mid-century Chinoiserie Cocktail Cabinet at Christie's

Neiman Marcus: Chinoiserie File Cabinet - Sold Out!

lana, the Wikipedia article is a really excellent overview of the subject.

The Chinoiserie furniture you show is interesting because I had never seen any that modern. Unfortunately it's a far cry from the stunning earlier pieces, but I hadn't really thought much about more modern versions. The file cabinet, however, is rather attractive. The Antique and Art Exchange has a stunning Chinoiserie grandfather clock for sale for the equally stunning price of over $6,000, but it really is beautiful. Thank you for the compliment about my collection. Compared to many, it's very modest in scope and quality, but it gives me much pleasure.

I've been watching the British "Piorot" series a bit on Netflix, mostly for the Art Deco sets, they are fabulous. There were some Chinoiserie touches during that time, although maybe they were mostly antiques from a previous era. I would put the craze for Feng Shui that was out there in the aughts as part of the whole cultural phenomenon of Asian influenced decoration. I found a feng shui book at the dump once an brought it home. It was fun reading, and I have to say that arranging your furniture for optimum "chi" is not a bad idea, it's just one way of describing how certain arrangements, colors, textures, etc. make you feel. But again, I love old movies too. I'd love nothing more than to decorate my home like some old 30's movie set where the upper crust hang out in their penthouse apartments, full of souvenirs of their days in the foreign service or world travel, and mix a cocktail out of their chinoserie liquor cabinet before going off to the cabaret. But my SO is absolutely against all that "old" stuff!