Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
In the late 19th and early 20th century, France developed an enduring passion for Japanese aesthetics and craftsmanship. Not only did this interpretation of Japanese culture — which became known as Japonisme — infuse fresh energy into French art and design, but it also radically transformed how Europeans, and subsequently the world, would come to understand visual culture.
Until 1853, Japan had been closely guarded against foreign visitors for over two centuries. However, American Commodore Matthew C. Perry sailed into Japan that year and initiated the first of its treaties with the United States and Europe, thereby opening its borders and giving the West its first-ever look at Japanese design.
For the next few decades, taken with Japonisme, sophisticated collectors in Paris, New York and elsewhere gorged themselves on lacquered screens, celadon ceramics and netsuke ornaments, along with artworks depicting various aspects of Japanese life. The East Asian country’s influence on Europe, particularly France, contributed to one of the most creatively prosperous periods in history, leaving an imprint on the Impressionist, Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements, and inspiring artists like Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, Vincent van Gogh as well as luxury houses such as Louis Vuitton and Hermès. Japonisme emerged at the time when the ornate Renaissance Revival style was the most prominent mode of decorating in Europe, and Japanese aesthetics seemed strikingly modern and elegant in comparison.
In addition to everyday practical objects from Japan, such as vases, tableware and decorative boxes, Japanese art, especially Japanese woodblock prints by masters of the ukiyo-e school, caught the eye of many artists — particularly those in the Art Nouveau poster community in 1880s Paris. The luscious organic colors associated with traditional Japanese design, motifs like cherry blossoms and carp and the vivid patterns found in woodblock prints, silks and more were adopted and appropriated by painters as well as ceramicists and those working in other fields of the decorative arts. Today, demand for Japanese lacquerware — furniture, trays, writing boxes, screens, incense burners — from the Edo period (1615–1868) and the late 19th century continues to be very strong among collectors.
Find a collection of antique Japonisme furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
1930s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Boxwood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Boxwood
1980s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Maple
Late 20th Century Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Metal
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Late 20th Century Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Ceramic, Fabric, Plastic
Late 20th Century Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Porcelain, Fabric, Hardwood
1990s Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bamboo
1940s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bamboo
1940s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze, Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bamboo
1920s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bamboo
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Lacquer, Shell
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Bamboo
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
19th Century Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Copper
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Metal
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Giltwood, Wood, Lacquer
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings
Iron