Japonisme Vases and Vessels
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.
Late 20th Century Danish Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery
2010s Turkish Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Stoneware
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Enamel, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Tin
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Metal
Early 20th Century Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1860s French Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
2010s Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Wood
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Metal
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Faience, Majolica, Pottery
1920s Chinese Vintage Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Enamel
1910s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
19th Century American Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Sterling Silver
1880s French Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Enamel, Bronze
Early 20th Century Belgian Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Bronze
2010s Turkish Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Stoneware
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1880s French Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Bronze
20th Century Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
1910s South Korean Vintage Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 1900s German Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Stoneware
Early 20th Century Danish Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Metal, Enamel
Late 19th Century English Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Enamel
1910s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Glass
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1930s French Vintage Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Pottery
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Metal
1930s French Vintage Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Pottery
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Bronze
2010s Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1870s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Copper
1880s French Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Crystal, Bronze, Enamel
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain, Paint
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
1880s French Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Crystal, Bronze
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1870s French Antique Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Enamel
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Metal, Silver, Enamel
1980s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Vases and Vessels
Ceramic