This print reproduces an 18th-century chinoiserie design.The era of chinoiserie began when European manufacturers attempted to reproduce objects or patterns brought from China during the period 1720-1730.Objects made in France 'in the Chinese style' were often quite far removed from the Chinese originals. They were evocative of Chinese products without imitating them, because the designers had never been to China. It was the China of their imagination. The decorative artists of the period, Boucher and Pillement, designed many Chinese motifs which were compiled and published in collections. These circulated among all the factories making fabrics, porcelain and so on.