Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
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.
1920s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Silver Leaf
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Metal, Silver, Enamel
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
1930s Philippine Vintage Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Silk
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Metal
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Enamel
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
1940s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Bamboo
2010s Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Sandstone
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Silk
1920s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Silk
1810s Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Brass
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Lacquer
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Brocade, Silk, Acrylic
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Metal
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Boxwood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Paint, Lacquer
1910s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Stone, Metal
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Lacquer
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Shell, Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Lacquer
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Enamel
1940s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Silk
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Enamel, Metal
2010s Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Sandstone
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Lacquer
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Silk
20th Century East Asian Japonisme Asian Art and Furniture
Brocade, Silk