Chinoiserie from the 18th century: ‘a rare opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces’

In the 18th century, the European elite was captivated by the elegance and exoticism of the Far East — in particular its porcelain, lacquerware and silk, which had been flowing into Europe from east Asia since the early 16th century.

European artisans responded to the increased demand for foreign luxury goods by producing new designs that blended European techniques, such as gilding, with Chinese materials (or imitations of them) and motifs — notably pagodas, dragons, Oriental flora and idealised scenes of life in Asia. The innovative works of art that resulted, now known as chinoiserie, reflect a key moment of artistic exchange between two worlds.

The finest of these objects were usually commissioned by the celebrated tastemakers of the time — the marchands-merciers — who negotiated between clients and makers. Their power lay in the monopolies they held over certain imported materials that were crucial to the production of chinoiserie goods, such as lacquerwares and porcelain from China and Japan.

Chinoiserie reached peak popularity in the middle of the 18th century, adorning opulent interiors across Europe. It remains synonymous with refinement, exceptional craftsmanship and inventive design, so the market for high-quality pieces remains strong.

Offered for sale in Collections: Entre Orient et Occident au XVIIIe siècle, regard d’un amateur éclairé & Souvenirs des princes Murat, which runs online until 15 April 2025, are some magnificent examples of chinoiserie assembled by an important European collector. ‘This exceptional collection follows in the footsteps of the grand chinoiserie collections that have shaped the history of European decorative arts,’ says Elisa Ober, a specialist in European Furniture & Works of Art at Christie’s in Paris. ‘The sale offers a rare opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.’

Among the treasures coming to auction is a Louis XVI ormolu-mounted European lacquered secretaire bearing the stamp of Jean-Louis-François Legry. The lacquered surface is decorated with black and gold motifs, including pagodas, flora and village scenes.

‘It exemplifies the popularity of imitation lacquer in 18th-century Europe,’ says Ober. Vernis Martin, a popular type of French imitation lacquer named after the Martin brothers — Guillaume, Etienne-Simon, Robert and Julien, ‘varnishers to the king’ — rivalled imported Chinese and Japanese lacquers. ‘The mastery of colour and decoration, particularly the rare green background, would have appealed to an aristocratic clientele eager for novelty and sophistication,’ adds the specialist.

The secretaire’s illustrious provenance adds to its desirability. In the 1910s, it was acquired by the celebrated interior decorator Elsie de Wolfe, better known as Lady Mendl, who popularised 18th-century French furniture among the American elite in the early 20th century. It later entered the collection of Commandant Paul-Louis Weiller, a giant of industry and finance who was also a committed philanthropist and a passionate supporter and collector of the arts. ‘This is a rare and instantly recognisable piece,’ says Ober. ‘We expect it to attract considerable interest at auction.’

Also offered is a Louis XV ormolu-mounted Chinese and European lacquered commode dating from the mid-18th century. It is possible that it was commissioned by the celebrated marchand-mercier Lazare Duvaux, as it is known from his journals that he handled several similar models. ‘Red lacquer commodes are exceptionally scarce, making this piece highly prized,’ says Ober. ‘It represents the pinnacle of 18th-century craftsmanship.’

Then there’s the Louis XV pagoda clock (circa 1740), which features European gilt-bronze mounts and Chinese porcelain figures. ‘The clock reflects the 18th-century craze for Chinese architecture, first embraced by the English and later adopted by the French,’ says the specialist. ‘The pagoda motif became a hallmark of luxury and refinement in European decorative arts.’

As for Asian works of art, Ober admires a six-leaf Qing-dynasty Coromandel-lacquer screen decorated with the auspicious haiwu tianchou motif: a crane with a stick in its mouth flying towards a pavilion rising from the sea. The scene, which is taken from the classic Chinese work Dongpo Zhilin, or Writings of Dongpo, by the Northern Song scholar Su Shi, symbolises longevity. ‘The auspicious design and the quality of the craftsmanship suggest that the screen was probably a gift for a prominent figure in 18th-century China,’ says Ober.

Other highlights include a Louis XV green and yellow lacquered commode, stamped by Adrien Delorme, circa 1750; a group of six cloisonné enamel quails, two of which take the form of candlesticks; an ormolu-mounted white Chinese porcelain magot figure; and a pair of Régence cache-pots from around 1720. ‘Gilt mounts were often added to Chinese blue and white porcelains imported to Europe in the 18th century, to cater to French taste,’ says Ober. ‘These pieces became the ultimate symbols of luxury.’

A showcase of decorative arts from distinguished private houses and estates, Collections is offered online. Collections: Including the Orange Blossom Collection and Works from ‘Centuries of Taste’ is open for bidding until 8 April; Collections: Property from the Viscount Wimborne and the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire is on view in London and open for bidding until 9 April; and Collections: Entre Orient et Occident au XVIIIe siècle, regard d’un amateur éclairé & Souvenirs des princes Murat is on view in Paris, 12-15 April, and open for bidding until 15 April

Of particular historic interest are a number of items from the Murat family, one of the most powerful families in 19th-century France. On the market for the first time, the group includes a tortoiseshell bonbonnière that once belonged to Napoleon, and an important set of orders of chivalry awarded to Joachim Murat, Marshal of the Empire, King of Naples, and his son Lucien