Chinoiserie, with its Asian imagery of intricate pagodas and monkeys-in-costume, first became popular in the late 19th century, and Jim "Griff" Griffith,
eBay's senior manager of seller strategy, says there's been an interest off and on since then—"its popularity has never really waned." Wooden trinket boxes, china cabinets and mirrors are some of the most common Chinoiserie items,
as are lamps, especially in blue and white, which can fetch between $90 and $350. (Some of the most prized Chinoiserie items aren't actually from China or Japan, Griffith says; pieces made in England or the U.S. can be even more valuable.)
