Chinese textiles exported to Europe and their influences in the 16th through the 18th centuries are discussed under four categories.
The first category is the Chinese textiles produced for the domestic market and then exported to Europe. For example, the Armémuseum in Sweden preserves flags taken from the Russian army during the Great Northern War (1700-1721). These flags incorporate typical Chinese textiles produced for the domestic market.
The second category is Chinese textiles produced for Europeans. In these pieces, Chinese stylizations are hidden in the details, while the main motifs are European, as seen in the textiles with double headed eagles and in the large embroidered wall hanging of “Abduction of Helen.”
The third is textiles produced in Europe based on their idealized image of China. At the time many European textiles incorporated imaginative images of China, drawing on the esthetic of “Chinoiserie”. Westerners created these exotic non-Western silks and tapestries for their own consumption.
The fourth is the Global expansion of Chinese design. Chinese embroideries with bird, flower, and animal design were exported to Europe and Japan, and ecclesiastical designs were created in India, Europe, and Peru. In the 16th through the 18th centuries, Chinese textiles were traded on a global scale, establishing an international style shared by the people around the world.
