A European decorative style that imitates Chinese artistic motifs, featuring pagodas, birds, flowers, and figures in an idealized Eastern aesthetic.
From French 'chinois' (Chinese) plus the suffix '-erie' (indicating a style or practice), coined in the 18th century when European trade with China exploded. The fascinating twist is that chinoiserie bears little resemblance to actual Chinese art—it's Europe's fantasy of what China looked like, created mostly by European artists who had never been to Asia. This 'Chinese' style was often more popular in European palaces than actual Chinese designs were in China.
Chinoiserie is basically 18th-century Europe's version of cultural fan fiction—European artists created an entire fantasy version of Chinese art that was so appealing, it became more famous worldwide than many authentic Chinese styles.
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