Ferdinand Barbedienne was a French metal craftsman active in the 19th century, renowned for his exquisite bronze work, especially in casting bronze artworks. He collaborated with artist and sculptor Achille Collas to establish a company specializing in creating art reproductions, including bronze replicas of ancient and modern sculptures. Barbedienne’s workshop became famous for using mechanized processes to reproduce masterpieces, securing a leading position in the art reproduction field of the time.
The reappearance and influence of Eastern aesthetics in European culture began in the 17th century, as Eastern goods like lacquerware, porcelain, and silk were brought to Europe through maritime trade by Portugal and Spain. These captivating art pieces began to permeate European life and the arts. This art style, known as Chinoiserie or Chinese-style art, not only reflected Europeans’ longing for the East but also represented a fusion of culture and imagination. As the Chinoiserie style flourished in artistic creation, Barbedienne’s workshop also incorporated Chinese Jingdezhen cloisonné ceramics (known as cloisonné) in the production of lamps in France, utilizing vases made from these unique ceramics.
Ferdinand Barbédienne: A Pair of Lamps Decorated with Chinese Jingdezhen Cloisonné (Cloisonné)
These cloisonné lamps crafted by Ferdinand Barbédienne not only employed traditional Chinese cloisonné techniques but also combined Western metal craftsmanship and decorative styles, showcasing a perfect blend of Eastern delicacy and Western luxury. The lamps are adorned with intricate Chinese landscape paintings and patterns, reflecting the depth and breadth of cultural fusion. A notable example is a pair of lamps made in France in the 1880s, featuring vases crafted from Chinese Jingdezhen cloisonné ceramics (cloisonné). The cloisonné work is exceptionally fine, with incredible delicacy, forming the main body of each lamp.
On the front of one lamp, a grebe is depicted amidst a lake scene, while the other lamp features cranes. The back of each lamp is decorated with various bouquets, with small butterflies and birds perched on the branches. The colors used are vibrant and richly varied. The gilded bronze decorations by Ferdinand Barbédienne are outstanding, with the gilding technique rooted in the Baroque trend of gilded aesthetics, which serves as both a decorative clash of Eastern and Western aesthetics and a means of physical protection for the ceramics. The base of each lamp consists of four intricately carved elephant heads, supported by their trunks, with glass shades adorned with dragon motifs.
These lamps represent a popular practice in the late 19th century, reflecting the intense fascination with the East at the time—repurposing genuine Chinese elements within European-designed objects to adorn the most luxurious interior spaces.
In this exchange, Eastern objects were often dismantled, recombined, or modified to suit the tastes and demands of the European market. European craftsmen began to imitate or merge Chinese and Japanese design elements, creating new art forms. The rise of Orientalism was not only a yearning for the East but also a way of understanding and reinterpreting it.
Ceramic Paintings Produced in Delft, the Netherlands, Illustrated by Joan Nieuhof
Another classic example can be found in the Amsterdam Museum in the Netherlands, which houses a ceramic painting produced in Delft around 1680, illustrated by Joan Nieuhof, a Dutch traveler. Nieuhof is most famous for his extensive journey from Guangzhou to Beijing, covering 2,400 kilometers between 1655 and 1657, which established him as a leading Western authority on Chinese subjects at the time. He documented this journey in his book “An Embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, Emperor of China.” As part of the embassy, Nieuhof’s duties included drawing accurate depictions of any cities, palaces, temples, rivers, and other notable structures they encountered. These depictions later became valuable references for European artists and craftsmen during the Chinoiserie craze.
In this ceramic work, the artist is cautious about using Western techniques of light and shadow, showing reluctance to apply these methods to paintings with Chinese themes. The composition is rich and layered, with complex yet orderly arrangements of figures, architecture, and natural elements, creating a vibrant and dynamic scene. The artist has evidently organized and collaged what he observed. The painting not only celebrates Eastern culture but also reflects a cosmopolitan attitude.
ChuCui Palace “Kirin in Clouds” Brooch
In modern times, the combination of Eastern symbols with Western techniques can be seen in ChuCui Palace’s iconic piece, the “Kirin in Clouds” brooch. This work embodies the Chinoiserie style’s “beauty of disorder” derived from Eastern aesthetics. The brooch depicts a Kirin soaring amidst clouds, with distinct layers and smooth lines, adorned with lotus flowers, creating a poetic sense of nature and mystery. The abstract Chinese cloud patterns are delicate and elegant in their curves, contrasting sharply with the majestic Kirin, showcasing the dynamic beauty unique to Chinoiserie.
The brooch employs asymmetrical composition typical of Eastern Chinoiserie, yet achieves visual balance and harmony within the asymmetry. In terms of color, soft pinks and golds complement each other with natural transitions, while indigo accents add color tension, making the Kirin appear both magnificent and lively. The entire piece captures the mystique of the mythical creature while imbuing it with a tangible aesthetic appeal.
“Kirin in Clouds” is not a simple imitation of Eastern aesthetics; it delves deeply into its cultural significance. The addition of the lotus evokes the imagery of “stepping on blooming lotuses” often found in Chinese poetry and painting, adding a unique poetic and aesthetic dimension to the piece. It reflects the Eastern philosophy of reverence for nature, contrasting with Western rational aesthetics.
Overall, the Western understanding of the East is closely linked to European cultural history, shaped by both the influence of Eastern objects and by fictional and idealized perceptions of the East. Cultural elements from China and Japan, such as lacquerware, porcelain, and naturalistic garden design, permeated Europe over the centuries, becoming part of the European collective consciousness and symbolizing the “Orient.”
As the Chinoiserie craze swept through Europe from the 17th to 18th centuries and reached its peak, Eastern aesthetics transcended a simplistic perspective of possession and control, with positive and negative perceptions of the East coexisting. This oscillation between attraction and disregard, misunderstanding and inspiration, is considered a key process in the integration of Chinese and Japanese elements into European culture. The “Other” represented by Chinoiserie became a contrasting force that stimulated a higher level of self-awareness in European aesthetics, playing a significant role in the development of national identity in countries like Britain and other European nations.
Chinoiserie is not merely a product of East-West cultural clashes but a process of understanding, misunderstanding, and recreating Eastern culture by Europe. This style goes beyond mere imitation and appropriation, blending aesthetic elements from different cultures to form a unique artistic expression. The rise of Chinoiserie in the 17th and 18th centuries not only reflected Europe’s fascination with and longing for Eastern culture but also revealed European efforts toward self-reflection and cultural identity through art and design. This cross-cultural exchange and fusion enriched European art and material culture and offered valuable historical insights and lessons for our contemporary understanding of multiculturalism. In the context of modern globalization, reexamining the history and aesthetic value of Chinoiserie can help us better understand and respect the interactions and coexistence between different cultures.
