Perhaps the Grandest Chinoiserie Party Ever – Paris, 1923

A strong candidate for the best Chinoiserie party ever? La Bal du Grand Prix in 1923 held at the Paris Opera. The creative director was Jean Gabriel Doumergue, it was the last event of the Paris season on the eve of the Grand Prix of the Longchamps racing meeting. Doumergue opted for the theme of the Far East in the 18^th century – tout Paris turned out in Chinoiserie costumes that linked Imperial China to the court of Versailles (after all Marie Antoinette was apparently fascinated by China and loved the Chinese tea the Chinese Emperor sent her). The staircase and walls were draped in black velvet to symbolise a night in the East – it then got a bit confused with Rajahs and Nautch girls mixed in with Chinese style ladies, Eunuchs and  the court of Versaillies and Louis XV with the ladies carried in by black men in African costume (further confusing things somewhat). Replica Indian and Chinese treasures were paraded through the venue and the final tableau, devised by Doumergue, was of the flora and birds of the Orient followed by floral cascades of chrysanthemums, orchids, pagodas, porcelain bridges, parasols, roses and water fountains. Women gilded their eyes to appear Chinese and painted their finger nails vermillion – at 2am a band came on and everyone fox-trotted till dawn. Bet that beats the last party you went to!