Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Emerging in the 17th century, chinoiserie appropriated the aesthetics and imagery of popular East Asian design for European-made versions. Reflecting the exoticization of China, Japan and other countries in this era, the word directly translates from French to “Chinese-esque,” which reveals its shortcomings as a style of furniture and decor that often stereotypically and reductively mimics Asian culture rather than showcasing and paying tribute to its artistic traditions.
The enthusiastically decorative chinoiserie style was propelled by influential tastemakers including French King Louis XIV, whose Trianon de Porcelaine in 1670 was inspired by Chinese architecture. Expanded trade between the East and West led to a demand for porcelain, lacquer objects, silk and other goods, which further informed the fanciful furniture being crafted in Europe.
Artisans working in the chinoiserie style used materials and elements like pagoda shapes, bamboo, lacquer surfaces, bird and flower motifs and other interpretations of Asian design on pieces that were frequently set against vibrant wallcoverings. This whimsical approach yielded chinoiserie furniture that boasted dramatic flourishes drawing on the natural world and reflected the dominance of Rococo during the 18th century.
As chinoiserie was shaped by approximations of Asian design by European creators, it had regional variations, such as Chinese Chippendale in England where cabinets, chairs and tea tables had wooden fretwork designs and “japanned” surfaces intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia. In North America, furniture makers in Boston and New York integrated chinoiserie-painted scenes into Queen Anne furniture.
Antique chinoiserie furniture has continued to be fashionable, from its popularity with decorators of the Hollywood Regency era — James Mont, Tommi Parzinger, William Haines and Samuel Marx favored the style — to contemporary interior designers, although it brings with it a complex history.
Find a collection of chinoiserie bedroom furniture, cabinets, decorative objects and more on 1stDibs.
1920s Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Lacquer
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass, Metal
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Teak
1950s Chinese Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
20th Century French Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
1940s French Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Maple, Burl
20th Century Southeast Asian Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
Early 20th Century English Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bamboo
19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Wood
20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
20th Century Philippine Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal, Brass
1910s Asian Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bone, Hardwood, Boxwood
1960s American Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1920s American Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1980s Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
20th Century Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Early 1900s Italian Antique Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Hardwood
19th Century English Antique Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Lacquer
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1970s French Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Plywood
20th Century British Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
20th Century Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
Mid-20th Century Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
1960s American Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Burl
1980s Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Late 20th Century Asian Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Nickel
Mid-20th Century European Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-20th Century Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Upholstery, Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal, Brass
20th Century Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Wood
1960s Asian Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1960s American Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
1960s French Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut, Paint
Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Lacquer
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1920s British Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Silver Leaf
1950s American Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
2010s American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1920s Vintage Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Lacquer
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1880s European Antique Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Lacquer, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century Antique Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Glass
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood





