Japanese Cloisonne Swan
Antique 1890s Japanese Meiji Jewelry Boxes
Enamel
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary American Anglo-Indian Taxidermy
Wood, Feathers
Vintage 1960s Persian Persian Rugs
Wool
Antique 1890s English Neoclassical Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Architectural Elements
Composition
21st Century and Contemporary American Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Art Deco Armchairs
Stainless Steel, Brass
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Dinner Plates
Ceramic
Antique Early 1900s American Neoclassical Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Antique 1720s Spanish Baroque Beds and Bed Frames
Giltwood, Paint
2010s Danish Sofas
Fabric, Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Renaissance Revival Tableware
Sterling Silver
Antique Late 19th Century German Musical Instruments
Walnut
Antique 19th Century Italian Apothecary Cabinets
Glass, Walnut
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze, Stainless Steel
A Close Look at meiji Furniture
From 1868 to 1912, Emperor Mutsuhito oversaw an era of transformation in Japan. Formerly a country of feudalism and isolation, Japan entered an age of modernization influenced by newly established trade and exchange with the West. The Meiji period, or period of “enlightened rule,” also saw the global impact of the East Asian country’s culture. Japanese Meiji furniture was exhibited at expositions from Paris to San Francisco and created for export.
Prior to the Meiji era, furniture was mostly made by commission for the ruling class; now there were new domestic and international markets. European styles like Japonisme appropriated Japanese design while craftsmen in places like Wales and England employed japanning, a varnishing technique that approximated the appearance of lacquer for the surfaces of furnishings.
Meiji furniture made for Japanese homes and buildings constructed in Western styles resulted in taller tables, chairs, cabinets with large drawers and other features. The government invested in areas such as transportation and communication, and because people could freely choose occupations after the restrictions of feudalism, industries of various types were energized by expressive new ideas during those years. Art schools were formed and, for the first time, design was an area of study in the country, leading to the evolution of professional design as a career by the 1890s.
The work of Japanese designers was transmitted widely through lavishly illustrated pattern books that included designs for screens and lacquerware for the home. While screens today may be of use as decorative accents or partitions to ensure privacy in one’s space, Japanese screens were adorned with paintings and were featured in performing arts such as concerts, tea ceremonies and more. The color illustrations that characterize Meiji woodblock prints, a genre of Japanese art that grew out of 17th-century developments in printing and book publishing, depicted the sweeping changes that the era brought to East Asia.
Although it was a time of societal and cultural shifts, a bolstered interest in art and design elevated Japanese craft traditions. From colorful porcelain table lamps with silk shades and hardwood tables decorated with dark lacquer to cabinets featuring iron hardware and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Meiji furniture showcased Japan’s artistic heritage to the world.
Find a collection of antique Japanese Meiji period case pieces and storage cabinets, decorative objects, wall decorations and more furniture on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right jewelry-boxes for You
If you have jewelry, chances are you have an antique, new or vintage jewelry box. This simple item was born from a simple need. It offers jewelry lovers a place to store their most cherished treasures. The idea behind a good jewelry box is that precious items deserve a place of honor.
It’s no surprise, then, that jewelry boxes (also called jewelry caskets or trinket boxes) have existed for as long as we’ve worn jewelry. It’s among the most popular decorative boxes we have in our homes, and we can find early versions that date at least as far back as Ancient Egypt. All Egyptians adorned themselves with necklaces, rings, earrings and other accessories, and the era’s jewelry boxes resembled small treasure chests. Later, fine jewelry became cost prohibitive and the only people with jewelry boxes were those who could afford jewelry.
Following the Industrial Revolution, jewelry was no longer made by hand. Mass production and the demand of the growing middle class rendered jewelry more accessible. Jewelry of the Romantic period, which refers to early Victorian jewelry, is reflective of these economic shifts. Jewelry from this time tends to be feminine and ornate, and embellished with seed pearls, coral and turquoise. Naturally, it was stored in elaborate, decorative Victorian-era jewelry boxes that were sometimes crafted from hand-painted porcelain or sterling silver.
Nowadays, jewelry boxes do more than keep jewelry safe and organized. They’re popular collector’s items that have become as treasured as the contents themselves. An eye-catching vintage jewelry box, which is at least 20 but less than 100 years old, is a valuable decorative object, a sign of luxury and elegance that adds character and texture to any bedroom. Some jewelry boxes are even embellished with a few jewels of their own.
If you’re not tucking your jewelry into a drawer or shallow tray atop your vanity, perhaps an Art Deco trinket box with charming brass hardware or a sculptural, hand-carved rosewood mid-century modern jewelry box lined with linen and velvet will do?
Today’s jewelry boxes come in a variety of styles and sizes and are made of metal, wood, plastic and other materials. Give your cherished jewelry the good home it deserves — find an extensive collection of antique, new and vintage jewelry boxes today on 1stDibs.