chinoiserie

noun

chi·noi·se·rie shēn-ˈwäz-rē

-ˈwä-zə-;

ˌshēn-ˌwäz-ˈrē,

-ˌwä-zə-

: a style in art (as in decoration) reflecting Chinese qualities or motifs

also : an object or decoration in this style

Did you know?

In 1670, King Louis XIV had the Trianon de Porcelaine erected at Versailles. It was a small structure-a pleasure house built for the king's mistress-and it was decorated with chinoiserie and faced with faience tiles with a blue and white chinoiserie pattern. The building persists in history as the first major example of chinoiserie-the English word is borrowed straight from French, which based the word on chinois, its word for "Chinese"-but the trend it began long outlasted the building itself, which was destroyed a mere 17 years later to make way for the Grand Trianon. Chinoiserie itself was popular throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and enjoyed a brief revival in the 1930s. And people still enjoy it today.

Examples of chinoiserie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Yet by the mid to late 18th century, early Americans began to embrace upholstered furniture, silk window treatments, and elaborate wallpapers, ranging from damasks and chinoiseries to large-scale, non-repeating murals like those seen at the Schuyler and Van Rensselaer estates in New York. —

Cornelia Powers, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024 As with The Newbury, Champalimaud Design was in charge of the interiors that incorporate elements of both chinoiserie and early New England design. —

Shivani Vora, Architectural Digest, 13 Dec. 2024 So go ahead and hunt for silver Christmas tree figurines that pair well with your mercury glass or charming nutcrackers that match your chinoiserie collection. —

Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2024 But instead of leaving it all to the chinoiserie, Gurney added additional pops of saturated colors that made the curling vines read almost like a neutral backdrop. —

Madeleine Luckel, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for chinoiserie