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Chinese Wallpaper in Britain and Ireland
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Description
Nominated for the 2019 Karel van Mander prize, this lavishly illustrated overview showcases some of the most significant Chinese wallpapers surviving in the British Isles.
Chinese wallpaper has been an important element of western interior decoration for three hundred years. As trade between Europe and China flourished in the seventeenth century, Europeans developed a strong taste for Chinese art and design. The stunningly beautiful wall coverings now known as 'Chinese wallpaper' were developed by Chinese painting workshops in response to western demand. A sophisticated synthesis of eastern and western art, Chinese wallpapers were an early-modern global product and they are still popular and influential today.
In spite of their spectacular beauty, Chinese wallpapers have not been studied in any depth until relatively recently. This book provides an overview of some of the most significant Chinese wallpapers surviving in the British Isles. Sumptuously illustrated, it shows how these wallpapers became a staple ingredient of high-end interiors while always retaining a touch of the exotic.
The book charts the stylistic development of Chinese wallpaper, allowing individual wallpapers to be more securely dated. It also touches on the China trade, the crucial role of the paper-hangers and the social significance of Chinese-style decoration in Britain.
This is a ground-breaking resource for both scholars and designers, as well as for anyone interested in historic interior design.
Table of Contents
Map
Introduction: A global product
1. The British taste for things Chinese 1600–1740
2. India pictures 1690–1760
3. The emergence of Chinese wallpaper 1740–1765
4. Realms of virtue and harmony 1750–1810
5. Auspicious Gardens 1765–1790
6. Print Rooms 1760–1815
7. Variations on a Theme 1790–1835
8. A Late Flowering 1830–1890
9. Revival 1870–1970
10. A Living Tradition: Chinese Wallpaper Now
Notes
Bibliography
Picture credits
Index
Product details
Published | 29 Nov 2018 |
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Format | Paperback |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 272 |
ISBN | 9781781300732 |
Imprint | Philip Wilson Publishers |
Illustrations | 170 colour illustrations |
Dimensions | 280 x 230 mm |
Series | National Trust Series |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |





