Chinoiserie

It was in the seventeenth century that myths of exotic "Cathay" began to be replaced by more definite knowledge of things Chinese, through the activities of English and Dutch traders. It was in the eighteenth century, however, that the taste for designs and architecture based on ideas of Chinese design - "Chinoiserie" - became highly fashionable in the French court, and in its many imitators throughout Europe. Ever since, Chinoiserie has been a factor in the decorative arts and interiors throughout Europe and America. This book celebrates the flowering of the style, and, through over two hundred images, shows its development through the nineteenth and into the twentieth century. Packed with colour, the book creates a visual source for all those involved with interiors, collecting, architecture and design.