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FeedOrient Expression
Fresh takes on a timeless design
By Alyssa Ford
Chinoiserie
Italian Pagoda Lantern, circa 1940, designer unknown. Reproductions available through Chameleon Fine Lighting, 212-355-6300Europe got its first look at Asian decorative arts in the early seventeenth century when East India Trading Company pulled into port bearing Chinese gifts and artwork. Inspired European artists began to experiment with these new motifs, using shellac to simulate lacquer and designing elegant wallpapers inspired by Chinese tapestries. This symbiosis of styles came to be known as Chinoiserie, and was so popular by the mid-eighteenth century that the crown heads of Europe were keeping palaces that looked like Asian temples. Chinoiserie continues to fascinate designers, who now blend the flavor of the Far East with contemporary modern forms.
11 ISSUES (1 YEAR)
