A monochrome etching of a costumed figure seated among fantastical shells, leaves, flowers, and curved branches inside a rectangular border.

ca. 1760–85 · Etching

Chinoiserie Ornament

Jean Pillement

Why it matters

Pillement’s printed designs made an imagined China reusable across decorative media. The figure’s setting has dissolved into rococo scrollwork, showing how cultural signs became mobile components of European taste.

Publication
Chinoiserie design print
Holding institution
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Shelfmark
21.91.243
Rights
Public domain; released through The Met Open Access programme

Pillement, Jean. Chinoiserie Ornament, ca. 1760–85. Etching. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 21.91.243.