Japonisme Decorative Objects
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.
1750s Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Stone
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Crystal
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Wood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Majolica
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bronze
2010s Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Pottery
2010s Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Iron
1880s French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Paint
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bronze
1930s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Decorative Objects
Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Steel
1870s French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Enamel
1880s French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Brass, Enamel
Mid-20th Century French Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Porcelain
2010s French Japonisme Decorative Objects
Gold
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Glass, Ceramic
Late 20th Century Japonisme Decorative Objects
Glass
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bronze
1910s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Decorative Objects
Wood
1880s French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Crystal, Bronze
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Metal
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Earthenware
1920s Swedish Vintage Japonisme Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1910s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
1880s American Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver, Copper
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Copper
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Metal, Sterling Silver, Enamel
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bamboo, Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bronze
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Lacquer
1880s French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Opaline Glass
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
1880s French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Brass, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Bamboo, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Decorative Objects
Alabaster, Bronze
2010s Japanese Japonisme Decorative Objects
Brass