What are characteristics of Japanese art?

There are a variety of different types of Japanese art. One of the oldest and most admired forms of Japanese art is the art of calligraphy, which originated in the sixth or seventh century. Another type of art, ukiyo-e, is the art of the woodblock print, which depicts scenes of female beauties; kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers and more. You’ll find a variety of Japanese artwork from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.

What is the focus of Japanese art?

The focus of Japanese art varies. Many traditional Japanese artists sought to capture the beauty of nature in their works. However, other Japanese artists have produced work with Buddhist themes, and contemporary artists working in the country have been inspired by a range of subjects, from socioeconomic and political issues to pop culture. On 1stDibs, explore a large selection of Japanese art.

What is the writing on Japanese art?

The writing on Japanese art is calligraphy art called shodo. It uses Japanese kanji and kana characters. There are a variety of different shodo styles of art, including Kaisho, which is the basic, foundational form of the art. On 1stDibs, find a range of Japanese calligraphy art from top sellers..

What is the Japanese sea art called?

What the Japanese sea art is called depends on its type. Many examples of sea art from Japan are called ukiyo-e. This term refers to woodblock prints made during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai is arguably the most famous ukiyo-e print depicting the sea. On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of Japanese woodblock prints.

How can you tell if art is Japanese or Chinese?

To tell if art is Japanese or Chinese, study the piece's characteristics. With paintings, Chinese artists often use more color and tend to fill their entire canvases, while Japanese artists often include more negative space and choose subtler colors. There are also differences between the brushstrokes typical of traditional Chinese and Japanese art. In Japanese paintings, brushstrokes are often short and sharp. On the other hand, Chinese paintings often display longer, more fluid brushstrokes. Learning about the defining features of various art forms and periods and looking at examples of pieces made by Japanese and Chinese artists can help you learn to spot subtle differences. Explore a diverse assortment of Japanese and Chinese art on 1stDibs.

What is the most popular Japanese art style?

Many art styles originated in Japan and grew in popularity over the years. Some of the most popular styles include shodo (calligraphy), ikebana, kanou and yamato-e. You’ll find a wide variety of authentic Japanese art from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.

What is Japanese wall art called?

What Japanese wall art is called depends on its type. There are numerous kinds of Japanese paintings and prints, including nihonga and ukiyo-e. A Japanese wall scroll is known as a kakejiku or kakemono. On 1stDibs, find a variety of Japanese wall art.

Japanese Art Ocean

Japanese Screen Gold On Gold Sun

Japan Moon Painting

White Ceramic Fish

17th Century Japanese Paintings

Muramasa Kudo Signed Limited Edition Japanese Serigraph Print Ocean Breeze

$895

H 34 in W 44 in D 0.15 in

Muramasa Kudo Signed Limited Edition Japanese Serigraph Print Ocean Breeze

Located in Studio City, CA

A beautiful and engaging large limited edition serigraph print by Japanese artist/print master Muramasa Kudo (1948-) titled "Ocean Breeze".

Category

Vintage 1980s American Modern Prints

Materials

Paper

Recent Sales

Ceramic Plate Japanese Blue White Fish Ocean, 1860

Unavailable

H 1 in Dm 12 in

Ceramic Plate Japanese Blue White Fish Ocean, 1860

Located in Monterey, CA

This ceramic plate is from Japan. It dates back to the Meiji period, circa 1860. It is 12" in diameter. The motif on the plate are fish with waves.

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Japanese Screen, "Golden Moon Over Craggy Ocean Landscape"

Sold

H 59 in W 59.5 in

Japanese Screen, "Golden Moon Over Craggy Ocean Landscape"

Located in Hudson, NY

Japanese Screen – Golden Moon Over Craggy Ocean Landscape Hokusai-style waves. Mineral pigments on mulberry paper with gold and silver leaf.

Category

Antique Early 1800s Japanese Paintings and Screens

Japanese Four-Panel Screen, Moon and Ocean Landscape

Sold

H 42 in W 82.5 in D 0.75 in

Japanese Four-Panel Screen, Moon and Ocean Landscape

Located in Hudson, NY

Exaggerated coastal landscape with rising moon, ink painting (sumie) on silver leaf.

Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Paintings and Screens

Materials

Silver Leaf

Japanese Two-Panel Screen, Across the Ocean ‘Kai Kou’

Sold

H 54.25 in W 65 in D 1 in

Japanese Two-Panel Screen, Across the Ocean ‘Kai Kou’

Located in Hudson, NY

Mineral pigments on silk, by Tanino Yoshito. One of a pair, can be sold separately or together.

Category

Vintage 1970s Japanese Paintings and Screens

Japanese Two-Panel Screen Across the Ocean 'Kai Kou'

Sold

H 54.25 in W 65 in D 1 in

Japanese Two-Panel Screen Across the Ocean 'Kai Kou'

Located in Hudson, NY

Mineral pigments on silk, by Tanino Yoshito. One of a pair, sold separately or together.

Category

Vintage 1970s Japanese Paintings and Screens

Japanese Two Panel Screen Rising Sun over Ocean Landscape

Sold

H 51.19 in W 45.5 in D 1 in

Japanese Two Panel Screen Rising Sun over Ocean Landscape

Located in Hudson, NY

Sun rising over cresting waves with silver clouds. Mineral pigments on paper.

Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Paintings and Screens

Materials

Paper

Japanese Four-Panel Screen "Ocean Wave and Silver Moon on Silver"

Sold

H 29.75 in W 49.25 in D 1.5 in

Japanese Four-Panel Screen "Ocean Wave and Silver Moon on Silver"

Located in Hudson, NY

Japanese four-panel screen: Ocean wave and silver moon on silver. Early Showa period (1926-1989). Mineral pigments on silver leaf.

Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Paintings and Screens

Japanese Two Panel Screen Moon Rising Over Turbulent Ocean Landscape

Sold

H 29 in W 74 in D 0.75 in

Japanese Two Panel Screen Moon Rising Over Turbulent Ocean Landscape

Located in Hudson, NY

Contemporary sumie (ink) painting on silver.

Category

Vintage 1960s Japanese Showa Paintings and Screens

Materials

Paper

Japanese Two Panel Screen Ocean Landscape, Rising Sun and Plum Branch

Sold

H 25.38 in W 66 in D 1 in

Japanese Two Panel Screen Ocean Landscape, Rising Sun and Plum Branch

Located in Hudson, NY

On gold leaf.

Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Paintings and Screens

Materials

Paper

Huge Ocean Garden Sea Bird Pelican

Sold

H 36 in Dm 15 in

Huge Ocean Garden Sea Bird Pelican

Located in South Burlington, VT

A large sea bird, sea gull or pelican, crafted work in stone for the finest pool, garden, or water scape setting A large scale pelican perched on top of a stump and hand cast and ...

Category

20th Century Japanese Showa Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cast Stone

Japanese Six-Panel Screen, Open Ocean

Sold

H 72 in W 150 in D 0.75 in

Japanese Six-Panel Screen, Open Ocean

Located in Hudson, NY

Japanese six-panel screen, open ocean, late Edo - early Meiji period, circa 1870, painting of plovers flying over cresting waves. Sumi ink on mulberry paper with a silk brocade borde...

Category

Antique 1870s Japanese Paintings and Screens

Materials

Silk, Wood, Paper

Japanese Two-Panel Screen: Moonlit Ocean Landscape

Sold

H 67.75 in W 74.5 in D 0.75 in

Japanese Two-Panel Screen: Moonlit Ocean Landscape

Located in Hudson, NY

Admired for its beauty, the wonderous moon shines on gentle ocean waves. Mineral pigment on gold silk with a silk brocade border and black lacquer wooden trim with bronze hardware. ...

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Paintings and Screens

Materials

Gold, Bronze

Japanese Asian Hand Painted Lacquered Temple Shrine Plaque Fish Ocean 19th Cent

Sold

H 5.5 in W 26 in D 2 in

Japanese Asian Hand Painted Lacquered Temple Shrine Plaque Fish Ocean 19th Cent

Located in Studio City, CA

A beautiful and intricate work likely originally from a Japanese Temple. The hand painted scene depicts an oceanic scene full of playful marine creatures.

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Paintings and Screens

Materials

Lacquer, Paint, Wood

Japanese Asian Large Six-Panel Folding Byobu Screen Cranes by Ocean 19th Century

Sold

H 67 in W 151.5 in D 1 in

Japanese Asian Large Six-Panel Folding Byobu Screen Cranes by Ocean 19th Century

Located in Studio City, CA

A magnificent six panel Japanese Byobu folding screen (likely Meiji Period but possibly Edo period) depicting cranes at play near the ocean shoreline. Crashing waves and large junipe...

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Paintings and Screens

Materials

Gold Leaf

Ocean Waves and Rocks

Sold

H 65.95 in W 148.23 in

Ocean Waves and Rocks

Located in New York, NY

Pair of six-panel folding screens with a dramatic design of ocean waves and rocks in ink on gold leaf.

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Paintings and Screens

Horses by Ocean Landscape

Sold

H 35.44 in W 106.3 in D 0.79 in

Horses by Ocean Landscape

Located in New York, NY

Detailed painting in ink and mineral pigments on paper with gold leaf. Scene of ten horses under pines by the ocean shore. In the background travelers by a village and on the right a...

Category

Antique 17th Century Japanese Edo Paintings and Screens

People Also Browsed

Muramasa Kudo Mixed Media Painting, Framed

$3,200

H 34.75 in W 28.75 in D 1 in

Muramasa Kudo Mixed Media Painting, Framed

Located in Dallas, TX

A Japanese painter and calligraphy master, Muramasa was born near Tokyo in 1948 and spent his childhood years in Aomori, a small and very beautiful city in rural northern Japan. From...

Category

Vintage 1980s North American Anglo-Japanese Paintings

Materials

Paint, Parchment Paper

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Japanese Art Ocean For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the Japanese art ocean you’re looking for. A Japanese art ocean — often made from paper, metal and wood — can elevate any home. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect Japanese art ocean — we have versions that date back to the 19th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. Each Japanese art ocean bearing hallmarks is very popular.

How Much is a Japanese Art Ocean?

Prices for a Japanese art ocean can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $899 and can go as high as $34,500, while the average can fetch as much as $18,000.

Finding the Right Paintings-screens for You

Traditional Asian paintings were often created on scrolls and folding screens. Artisans made screens that could be folded up or spread out by connecting several panels using hinges. Today, antique Asian folding screens and paintings are sophisticated decorative accents that can serve as makeshift partitions to ensure privacy.

The original folding screens were created by Chinese artists. The earliest record of screens comes from the 2nd century B.C., and surviving examples date back to the Ming dynasty. Chinese painting utilizes many of the same tools as calligraphy — these screens were crafted from wood with painted panels featuring striking art or calligraphy that told cultural stories or represented nature and life in the area.

The practice was introduced to Japan, where paintings for screens were made on paper and silk, in the 8th century. These paintings frequently feature subjects such as landscapes, animals, flowers and Buddhist religious themes. Along with screens for tea ceremonies and dance backgrounds, there were screens for use in Shinto and Buddhist temples.

In the 17th century, screens began to be imported to Europe where their popularity grew. Coco Chanel famously collected Coromandel folding screens.

Traditional Asian paintings can make a tasteful addition to any wall, and screens can be used as decoration or, in the case of larger iterations, as an aesthetic way to divide a large room. Browse the selection of antique Asian paintings and screens from a variety of styles and eras on 1stDibs.

Symbols of Happiness and Rebirth Adorn This Japanese Satsuma Bowl

Decorated with white cranes and the sought-after thousand-butterflies motif, the Meiji-period vessel offers both a celebration of traditional aesthetics and a clear reflection of the era’s appetite for exquisite export pieces.

Chicago’s Pagoda Red Has a Spirited Mix of Asian Antiques and Bold New Art

For 25 years, gallerist Betsy Nathan has leveraged her keen eye and key connections to bring a unique selection of rare finds to the market.

In L.A., Gallerist JF Chen Has Long Championed Eclectic Blue-Chip Design

Now working alongside his daughter Bianca, dealer Joel Chen has presented a most covetable array of antiques, art and contemporary creations for more than 40 years.

12 Calming Spaces Inspired by Japanese Design

From cherry-blossom-adorned walls paired with glamorous lighting to wood-paneled ceilings above checkerboard-patterned chairs, these 12 spaces seamlessly blend Eastern and Western aesthetics.

Rodrigo Rivero Lake’s Mexico City Showroom Is a Museum-Worthy Trove of Spanish Colonial and Asian Antiques

The dealer and curator has spent the past 50 years amassing a collection of exceptional art, furniture and architectural elements that trace the cultural influence of the Spanish empire from Europe to the Americas and beyond.