“Decorative” Category
(Late 17th–18th Century)
- Chinoiserie ceramics become coveted by the European aristocracy and merchant elite, valued primarily as decorative luxuries used in interior design, social rituals (like tea ceremonies), and as indicators of refinement and social status (Leath 49–52).
- European aristocrats commission porcelain with European-style designs from Chinese manufacturers, making porcelain a symbol of cultural hybridity and personal status rather than artistic innovation (Pierson 41).
- Chinoiserie’s status as decorative (rather than fine art) solidifies with the proliferation of chinoiserie-inspired interiors and furniture by European designers such as Thomas Chippendale and Jean Pillement (Leath 56).
- The notion of “decorative art” becomes tied explicitly to objects with domestic functions, a categorization reflecting gendered biases: decorative art, seen as domestic and ornamental, is implicitly gendered as feminine and subordinate to “intellectual” fine arts like painting and sculpture (Pierson 18)
(18th–19th Century)
- European art markets begin to formalize distinctions between fine and decorative art, reinforcing gendered hierarchies in valuation. Decorative arts are increasingly associated with female taste and domestic interiors, relegating chinoiserie to a lower rung in art hierarchies.
- As art historian Linda Nochlin argued, systemic biases against art associated with femininity have historically marginalized decorative arts like Chinoiserie, affecting their market value and institutional recognition (Nochlin 150–51).
- European and British domestic interiors prominently feature chinoiserie, but the association with femininity leads to diminished intellectual and market value. Collectors and designers, such as the Ionides family in Britain, frequently use Chinese porcelain for interior decoration, emphasizing luxury and taste rather than artistic innovation or expression (Pierson 86).
(20th Century–Early 2000s)
- Decorative arts remain undervalued due to entrenched gendered stereotypes. Porcelain and ceramics, despite their technical complexity and artistic quality, remain associated with domesticity and femininity, limiting their market recognition and value (Pierson 123)
- In the 20th century, collecting trends in Britain and the broader Western market continued to reinforce the gendered classification, emphasizing aesthetics over intellectual or innovative artistic contributions (Pierson 135)
- Empirical studies reveal systematic gender-based price disparities in art markets. Works by female artists sell at an average discount of 42%, a gap attributed purely to gender bias rather than quality, medium, or subject matter (Adams et al. 243).
- Gender inequality within countries directly impacts market valuation, suggesting cultural biases against femininity in art are deeply embedded and vary significantly according to cultural context. Countries with greater gender inequalities demonstrate larger price discounts on art perceived as feminine (Adams et al. 247).
(Late 20th–21st Century)
- Rising feminist art scholarship challenges traditional hierarchies, prompting reassessment of Chinoiserie as more than merely decorative. Art institutions and contemporary artists increasingly reconsider decorative arts within critical feminist and postcolonial frameworks (Pierson 172).
- Contemporary artists engage with Chinoiserie to question historical narratives around gender, race, and identity, shifting its perception from decorative frivolity toward intellectual rigor and critique (Clarke 237).
(2020s–Present)
- Market trends indicate a growing interest in reappraising historically marginalized forms such as Chinoiserie, paralleling broader global conversations on equity, inclusion, and reexamining historically undervalued art forms. This has led to increased market values and institutional recognition for historically marginalized artistic practices (McAndrew 45).
- Auction houses and galleries now actively promote contemporary reinterpretations of Chinoiserie and related genres, indicating a potential, though cautious, shift in the market’s traditionally gendered perceptions (Huang et al.).