Japonisme Vases
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.
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Danish Japonisme Vases
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Vases
Enamel, Ormolu
Late 19th Century European Antique Japonisme Vases
Wood
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Vases
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Vases
Metal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Vases
Ceramic, Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
Early 1900s French Antique Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
Early 20th Century European Japonisme Vases
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Ceramic
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Iron
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Vases
Opaline Glass
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Sommerso
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Ceramic
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Japonisme Vases
Bronze, Enamel
Late 19th Century English Antique Japonisme Vases
Enamel
2010s Turkish Japonisme Vases
Stoneware
1870s French Antique Japonisme Vases
Onyx, Bronze
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
Early 1900s English Antique Japonisme Vases
Ceramic
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
Early 1900s German Antique Japonisme Vases
Stoneware
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
Early 1700s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Bronze
1990s American Japonisme Vases
Ceramic, Clay
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Ceramic, Porcelain
2010s Turkish Japonisme Vases
Stoneware
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Bronze
1870s French Antique Japonisme Vases
Bronze, Enamel
Late 20th Century Japonisme Vases
Glass
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Pottery
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Vases
Ormolu
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Enamel
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Ceramic
1890s French Antique Japonisme Vases
Art Glass
20th Century Spanish Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Ceramic
1980s French Vintage Japonisme Vases
Enamel
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Brass, Enamel
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Brass, Enamel
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Brass, Enamel
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Brass, Enamel
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Metal
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Bronze
1870s British Antique Japonisme Vases
Porcelain
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Vases
Ceramic
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Vases
Bronze
2010s Japanese Japonisme Vases
Pottery
1930s French Vintage Japonisme Vases
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Japonisme Vases
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Vases
Metal, Silver, Enamel