chinoiserie
Americannoun
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a style of ornamentation current chiefly in the 18th century in Europe, characterized by intricate patterns and an extensive use of motifs identified as Chinese.
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an object decorated in this style or an example of this style.
The clock was an interesting chinoiserie.
noun
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a style of decorative or fine art based on imitations of Chinese motifs
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an object or objects in this style
Etymology
Origin of chinoiserie
1880–85; < French, equivalent to chinois Chinese + -erie -ery
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Describing chinoiserie as derivative of multiple cultures, she said she hoped her own patterns would foster an appreciation for historic Korean art and return to honoring “the true roots” of Asian art.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 21, 2023
Dabito has been embracing his love for chinoiserie through antique art deco Oriental rugs that incorporate florals and birds.
From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 2021
Inside, it was decorated in decadent chinoiserie, with a thirty-foot glass chandelier clutched in the claws of a silvered dragon suspended above the dining table.
From The New Yorker • Jan. 10, 2020
Naturally, it was none other than Benjamin Franklin, the chief disciple of Confucius and chinoiserie among the Founding Fathers of the United States.
From Salon • Feb. 6, 2019
To the rage for every possible form of chinoiserie, for which he is chiefly responsible, Sir William Chambers owed much of his success in life.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 7 "Cerargyrite" to "Charing Cross" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
