‘Exoticism’, not Authenticity As early as 1789, a few years after the completion of the pavilion, contemporaries were critical of the building. Manger regretted that Büring did not have the books of William Chambers available, who studied the country’s architecture and garden design during several stays in China.8 With the publication of his book Designs of Chinese Buildings, Furniture, Dresses, Machines, and Utensils in 1757, a desire for authenticity arose.9 This influence can be seen in later chinoiserie structures in the park. The Chinese Bridge, which was planned for Sanssouci Park but never built, is based on drawings ordered from Chambers’ himself.10 The Dragon House was built by Carl von Gontard in 1770 after a draft attributed to Büring. This building clearly refers to Chambers sketches.11 Halfpenny’s work Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste, which probably served as inspiration for the pavilion, provided little authenticity with its arched roof cornices, dragons and bells, but features all the elements of chinoiserie architecture in Germany.12 From the perspective of East Asian art history, this Fig. 4 Ceiling Painting at the Chinese House (detail from fig. 3)
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