Chinamaniac

/ˌtʃaɪ.nəˈmeɪ.ni.æk/ noun

Definition

A person who is excessively enthusiastic about or obsessed with Chinese art, culture, and design.

Etymology

From 'chinamania' plus '-ac' (person affected by a condition). A 19th-century coining to describe collectors and decorators consumed by fashionable Asian taste.

Kelly Says

Chinamaniacs filled their houses with ornamental dragons, pagoda-shaped furniture, and wallpapers depicting imaginary Asian landscapes—most of it had nothing to do with actual China! The British royal family's Chinaman obsession literally influenced global interior design.

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