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

People are still talking about Galliano’s famous Absinthe dress for Dior, a fluid column detailed with chinoiserie embroidery that Kidman wore to the 1997 Oscars. —Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025

The options are truly endless and range from chinoiserie to chintz to cheeky block prints. —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2025

This home became the touchstone for my personal selection and reference for my own life in terms of quality of furniture, objects, art, statuary, and fabric and of my deep association with everything chinoiserie. —Ralph Rucci, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

French, from chinois Chinese, from Chine China

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

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