Chinese Courtier with Lady

European desire for oriental goods grew so rapidly that Chinese and Japanese export markets could not sustain the demand. Western artists and businesses infiltrated this market and created their own version of East Asian wares referred to “a la chinois” or chinoiserie. The success resulted in European consumers resorting to local businesses instead of the foreign suppliers. They grew to prefer their own version of the East rather than the authentic identities of East Asia as demonstrated through the Westernization of the Chinese man’s appearance. Chinoiserie objects, produced in the West, allowed Europeans to reclaim authority over the manufactured arts industry and ultimately claim control over East Asian culture. -Written by Diana Kate Karsanow