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How did European rococo lacquer designs depart from East Asian models?

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Qianlong imperial throne — lacquerwork Imperial Chinese throne of the Qianlong emperor (reigned 1735–96), red lacquer carved in dragons and floral scrolls, Qing dynasty; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

European rococo lacquer designs departed from East Asian models by evolving from a purely imitative art into a distinct, playful style that reflected Western aesthetic preferences.1

Until approximately 1720, European craftsmen primarily sought to replicate the figures, architectural settings, and stylized vegetable forms found on imported East Asian lacquerware. However, in keeping with the spirit of the rococo, they began to modify these designs by incorporating:1

European motifs: The introduction of European figures, draperies, arabesques, cartouches, and ribbon compositions.1
Exotic elements: The addition of animals such as monkeys and fanciful landscapes.12
Expanded color palettes: Moving beyond the traditional East Asian black and gold, European lacquer utilized a wide variety of background colors, including scarlet, yellow, white, blue, and green, sometimes flecked with gold.1

This transformation allowed for greater originality, such as the informal, delicate floral arrangements seen in Venetian lacquerwork. While these European creations were not as hard or brilliant as authentic Oriental lacquer, they became a highly fashionable and sophisticated component of 18th-century interior design.12