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Meiji Picture Frames

MEIJI STYLE

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.

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Style: Meiji
Rare Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Oval Frame with Chrysanthemums, Manner of Hayashi
Rare Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Oval Frame with Chrysanthemums, Manner of Hayashi

Rare Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Oval Frame with Chrysanthemums, Manner of Hayashi

Located in Long Island City, NY

Rare Japanese Cloisonné Oval Frame with Birds & Chrysanthemums, in the Manner of Hayashi An exceptionally rare Japanese cloisonné enamel picture frame of oval form, worked in the manner of Hayashi Kodenji, dating to the Meiji period. The frame is decorated on a rich black enamel ground with finely executed silver wire chrysanthemums, accompanied by smaller red and purple blossoms at the base, each flower shaded with naturalistic enamels of the highest quality. The interior holds an original Japanese watercolor of three swallows in flight, gracefully rendered in delicate tones of blue, white, and yellow. The watercolor is unsigned and can be replaced at the purchaser’s discretion with a family photograph or another image, though the original work adds to the object’s rarity and charm. Frames of this type are among the rarest forms in Japanese cloisonné production, most surviving examples being vases, dishes, or boxes. The level of detail in the wirework here—the meticulous use of silver wire for the chrysanthemums and the naturalistic rendering of foliage—demonstrates the refined artistry associated with the finest cloisonné masters of the period. This piece is in excellent condition with a small hair line in the black ground see photo. Cloisonné picture frames...

Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Meiji Picture Frames

Materials

Enamel

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Previously Available Items

Meiji picture frames for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Meiji picture frames for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee.