Press Release written by Sarah Edmonds for Zardi & Zardi. All images by Mike Garlick Photography.
From the moment Chinoiserie landed on English shores in the mid 1700’s, it was an instant hit. Chinese wallpapers were imported as part of Sinomania – the fashion for all things oriental including lacquer, porcelain, silks and patterned linens from India. Thanks to the English East India Company, every grand house in the country had at least one room adorned with chinoiserie. It remained in fashion for the next 100 years – as trends go, this one really has endured. After centuries of appeal, chinoiserie continues to attract a new generation of decorators for its exotic, timeless quality.
Chinoiserie plays its part in a century of colonization, craft, industrialization and the global expansion of trade routes and entrepreneurialism from both sides of the world. What started life as painted screens and hand-painted murals soon morphed into wall decorations admired by European merchants, which were quickly exported along with other treasures.
Records show that the first Chinese wallpapers appeared for sale in London in the late 17th century, and became ubiquitous in the years that followed. By that time, most of the great estates of Europe had fallen for decorating with Chinese paper, bringing these exotic, other-worldly landscapes into their homes. Depicting scenes of Chinese life and landscapes, they were intended to be viewed as complete panoramas. They were expensive and could take up to two years to be delivered and were therefore considered a real rarity.
This fuelled the English and French desire to reproduce them and capitalise on this new fashion for the East. Early examples are clumsy in their depiction of exotic flora and fauna, with little grace or flow to the design elements. With the introduction of more accessible versions, chinoiserie began to appear in more modest homes too.
Thankfully, techniques have greatly improved and our exquisite Chinoiserie designs are as near to the original as you could find. Our best-selling Chinoiserie wallpaper (available in two scales) has been copied from an original hanging in a private home, with many months spent lovingly recreating the mottled background to give it an aged look. The design is also available as fabric panels, printed on a delicate, lightweight linen which hang beautifully.
As a specialist in the reproduction of antique tapestries, Zardi & Zardi has access to some of the finest estates in the country and the original designs that still exist within them. Occasionally we are permitted to make a copy or to delve into the V&A archives and reproduce designs to grace your homes. We aim to create designs that are sympathetic to the original, whilst being relevant in a contemporary setting, bridging old worlds and new with a timeless quality. Summer 2024 sees the launch of six new colourways to join best-sellers Chalk White, Siskin Green and China Blue.
Note to Editors:
Wallpaper Eleven drop lateral repeat – sold as panels
Heights: 425cm, 375cm, 325cm
Width: 141cm
Chinoiserie panorama Colours: Siskin Green, Chalk White, China Blue
Chinoiserie panorama (Petite) Eight-drop lateral repeat
Heights: 310cm, 290cm, 210cm
Width: 141cm
Printed Linen Panels Twelve drop lateral repeat – sold as panels Heights: 425cm, 375cm, 325cm
Width: 134cm
Colours: Siskin Green, Chalk White
All products are printed to order with a 4-week lead time.
General Enquiries: +44 (0) 1452 814 777 / [email protected]
Request a Capsule Collection Consultation: [email protected]
Request Samples: [email protected]
A Bespoke Specification Service is available: [email protected]
For all PRESS enquiries please contact:
Sarah Edmonds, Sales & PR +44 (0) 7990 587967 [email protected]
Images are available on request via email and Dropbox.
