——Crossing Cultures and Regions, Profound Cultural Influence
In the 17th century, influenced by imported oriental products, especially porcelain, lacquerware and other artworks, Chinoiserie (Chinese style art) began to rise in Europe, and gradually reached its peak in the late 17th century and the middle of the 18th century. This period is called the “Baroque” period of Chinese craze, and gradually had an important stimulating influence on the Rococo style after the Baroque. Europe’s interest in Oriental art inspired the imitation and innovation of Chinese porcelain and lacquerware, and promoted the development of local European crafts. This artistic style is not only a copy of original oriental works, but also includes unique works created by European artists based on oriental design elements.
The trend swept across Europe, particularly influencing the aesthetic tastes of the European upper class. Its impact was widespread, marking the first large-scale collision between Eastern and Western cultures and aesthetics, and representing the pinnacle of global aesthetics of its time. Chinoiserie, with its exotic allure, was not merely a form of decorative art but also a challenge to and reevaluation of traditional European values. The popularity of this aesthetic style not only signaled the fading of ancient and sacred ideas but also reflected changes in social structure and perceptions of status.
The mixed charm of European native Chinoiserie art
A Chinoiserie luxury clock made by James Cox in England
In the Metropolitan Museum, there is a Chinoiserie clock by James Cox, a renowned 18th-century English clockmaker and jeweler, and a significant representative of 18th-century English Chinoiserie art. Many of Cox’s works incorporate Chinese elements, such as clocks and automata inlaid with Chinoiserie patterns and decorations. These pieces reflect 18th-century Europe’s deep interest in and romanticized imagination of Chinese culture. Some of these works were given as gifts to the Qianlong Emperor (who reigned from 1736 to 1795), a clock enthusiast, and are still housed in the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Created in 1766, this piece features a Chinese attendant pushing a tricycle clock adorned with gold, diamonds or imitation gemstones, pearls, and gemstone flowers on a three-tiered umbrella. Both a clock and a luxury item, it symbolized wealth and taste, often collected by nobles and wealthy merchants.
The work features the classic asymmetrical composition of Chinoiserie, emphasizing naturalism within Chinoiserie. It is complex and delicate in design, continuing the gilded decorative features of Rococo that originated from the Baroque style. Although the British public had a limited understanding of the culture behind Chinoiserie, this style profoundly influenced the rise of Romanticism through its fusion with Rococo and Gothic styles. Romanticism also emphasized individuality and nature, and the “irregularity” in Chinoiserie embodies this spirit.
Brighton Pavilion Banqueting Hall
The Brighton Pavilion is a prime example of Chinoiserie in Europe, blending diverse cultural elements to reflect the extensive cultural exchanges of the late 18th to early 19th century. Its exterior, inspired by Indian Mughal architecture with onion-shaped domes and spires, exudes exotic charm, while the interior showcases a strong Chinese influence. The Banqueting Hall epitomizes this fusion, with dragon and lotus-shaped chandeliers of stained glass and metal creating a mysterious, opulent atmosphere. Walls adorned with vivid murals of Chinese figures and landscapes, rendered with Western shading techniques, present an imaginative interpretation of Chinese court life.
Chinoiserie lacquer cabinet, housed in the V&A Museum， image courtesy of V&A Museum
In the 1670s, Chinese lacquerware imports to Europe surged, driven by British East India Company merchants catering to domestic demand. The Baroque style dominated European art, inspiring craftsmen to blend it with Chinoiserie. A 1688 cabinet in the Victoria and Albert Museum exemplifies this fusion, combining a Chinoiserie lacquer body with Baroque gilded legs. Its intricate decoration juxtaposes Eastern patterns of flowers, birds, and landscapes with Western acanthus leaves and angels, capturing a dynamic tension between East and West, restraint and exuberance, and flatness and depth.
Chinoiserie in the Eastern Native Context
Copperplate Engraving of the Great Fountain in the Old Summer Palace
The “Garden of Gardens” in the Old Summer Palace vividly showcases Chinoiserie, exemplified by the Great Fountain near Yuanyingguan. This Baroque-style structure features domes, columns, and fountains with Chinese roof decorations and brick carvings, blending Eastern and Western aesthetics. Reflecting the Chinese garden concept of “borrowed scenery,” it harmonizes with the natural surroundings, while its sculptures combine Western mythology with Chinese motifs, achieving a seamless fusion of cultural styles.
Pioneers of Modern Chinoiserie
The early workshop of the Chucui Palace family in Rome
Chucui Palace, as a pioneer of Chinoiserie-style jewelry, is committed to reviving the status of Eastern aesthetics in the global art world, focusing on the creation of elegant Eastern-style art jewelry. Chucui Palace originated in a family workshop in Rome, Italy, in the mid-20th century, specializing in the creation of Eastern-style jewelry. Its first art jewelry piece, “Hidden Dragon,” themed around the Eastern totem of the “dragon,” caused quite a sensation in the European jewelry circle upon its debut. Since the 1980s, the brand has begun creating custom Eastern-style jewelry for European and Middle Eastern royalty.
The precious manuscripts of the Chucui Palace family workshop
From the earliest surviving manuscripts of the family, it is evident that the predecessor of Chucui Palace was pioneering in actively exploring the possibilities of combining Western inlay techniques, traditional European jewelry, and Chinese fine-line art in its early days. The artists and craftsmen continuously drew inspiration from the colors, contours, and Eastern natural structures of Chinese fine-line paintings. Throughout the 70-year history of the family workshop and brand, this exploration has persisted to the present day.
The precious manuscripts of the Chucui Palace family workshop
Eastern landscapes, ink washes, branches, and flowers became sources of inspiration for re-creation. The manuscripts intricately depict the strength and beauty of trees and flowers within the framework of Chinese fine-line painting, capturing nature’s essence with rich variety and vitality. The lines are dynamic, emphasizing variations in pauses, thickness, and restraint, adding a touch of Eastern artistry to the jewelry, reminiscent of a vivid brushstroke from an Oriental painting.
The precious manuscripts of the Chucui Palace family workshop
Asymmetrical Eastern branches and flowers intertwine with Italy’s symmetrical traditional classic jewelry. The manuscripts are exquisite, showcasing the characteristics of Eastern art and fine-line techniques. Naturalism in Chinoiserie is extended, with lines and contours, negative space, and inlay methods being repeatedly discussed. The juxtaposition of symmetry and asymmetry, exotic and traditional, natural and rational, is explored. Through the fusion of different cultural elements, a unique art form is created.
Chinoiserie embodies the fusion of Eastern and Western art, transcending time and space. It reflects Europe’s fascination with the East and showcases innovation and respect for exotic cultures. From the 17th and 18th-century Baroque and Rococo styles to contemporary designs by Chucui Palace, Chinoiserie remains a symbol of cultural exchange and integration. More than a decorative style, it represents art’s power to transcend boundaries, leaving a lasting legacy in global art history.
