Chinoiserie Old and New

 Cinnabar red, imperial yellow, luxurious silks embroidered with dragon, phoenix and floral motifs, decorative ceramics, glossy lacquerware, jades, bronzes, ornate furniture and gemstones: the opulence of Imperial China retains its exotic appeal today.  So much so that interpretations of its rich colors, patterns and textures are often found in contemporary interiors. From China’s first great dynasty—the Han (206-220AD)—to the end of the Qing dynasty in 1911, 2000 years of Imperial rule provided countless opportunities for lavish living.  In direct contrast to the Confucian principles of scholarly living, many wealthy city families lived extravagant lives in richly decorated and furnished houses.  In the early 1300s, Marco Polo wrote of the “grandeurs and treasures” of Cathay, and since that time the Orient has gripped the imagination of the West, conjuring up images of a land of pagodas, and palaces, exotic landscapes and tantalizing riches.  Fabrics, ceramics, fragrances and spices all found their way along the Silk Road to Europe and the Americas and helped to keep such romantic views alive.

The East India trading companies of the 17^th and 18^th centuries imported Chinese lacquerware, blue and white porcelains, ivories and silks to the West; their popularity encouraged European craftsmen to produce copies of the Chinese originals.  Although imitations were faithful to begin with, there were soon abandoned in favor of a purely European interpretation of Orientalism and furniture, tapestries, wallpapers and more sported fanciful motifs of scenery, human figures, pagodas and exotic birds and flowers.  This decorative movement was known as Chinoiserie.

In other parts of Asia, such decorative opulence was also embraced, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore, as seen in the lavishly decorated Peranakan town houses owned by the Straits Chinese, descendants of Southern Chinese immigrants.  With their hand-painted tiles, ornate carvings, beautifully carved bas-reliefs and mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture, the houses offer a unique diffusion of Imperial style.

Peranakan décor featured auspicious motifs to bring good luck; examples include the peony flower, which signified wealth, love and affection, and the phoenix for goodness and benevolence.  Indeed, such faith in supernatural powers played an important role in life across all of China and most items in the home would have been decorated with symbols to ward off evil.  Some of the most common are bamboo (the symbol of longevity), the dragon (the emblem of Imperial power and representative of the Yang or male energy),  the fish (said to bring wealth) and the plum blossom (for beauty and long life).