chinoiserie

American  

[sheen-wah-zuh-ree, -wah-zuh-ree, shee-nwaz^uh-ree] / ʃinˌwɑ zəˈri, -ˈwɑ zə ri, ʃi nwazəˈri /

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

plural

chinoiseries

1. 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.

2. an object decorated in this style or an example of this style.

   The clock was an interesting chinoiserie.

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chinoiserie British  

/ -ˈwɑːzərɪ, ʃiːnˌwɑːzəˈriː /

noun

1. a style of decorative or fine art based on imitations of Chinese motifs

2. an object or objects in this style

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Etymology

Origin of chinoiserie

1880–85; < French, equivalent to chinois Chinese + -erie -ery

Example Sentences

Anne lives for preppy chinoiserie, so a burnt orange vase makes perfect sense as the focal point of her kitchen island.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 22, 2023

One of Duncan’s favorite chinoiserie patterns, Brighton Pavilion by Schumacher, is a floral and bird motif that she prefers as a wallpaper in dining rooms and bedrooms.

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