Meiji Lanterns
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
Japan Early Ikebana Planter Garden Cart with Children, Meiji Period
Located in South Burlington, VT
A rare 19th century hard to find Japanese Usubata Flower Planter Cart "Norimono",
Late Meiji Period.
Japan, this handsome quality old style "garden cart" ikebana planter is an exceptionally rare find and an authentic old work of Japanese art.
Brilliantly designed and a handsome plant presentation with removable ikebana vase inserted into an openwork wicker basket set on a wheeled cart...
Category
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Meiji Lanterns
Materials
Iron
Japanese Tansu Style Wooden Crate Cage Chandeliers
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Fascinating pair of Japanese wooden crates or cages made in a Tansu style with iron strapping. The square crates have a house shaped roof made of an eboni...
Category
19th Century Japanese Antique Meiji Lanterns
Materials
Brass, Iron
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Many of our customers place LED candles inside the main section making a romantic and enjoyable decorative accent for entertaining friends and family. It's a good choice for your indoor or outdoor garden space.
Lifetime guarantee of authenticity: All of our Asian works of art come with our lifetime authenticity guarantee.
About Japanese stone lanterns:
Japan’s stone lantern tradition is a concept that was imported from India and has existed in Japanese temples and gardens since the 7th century.
Japan’s lantern tradition was originally conceived as entrance lighting and guardians to temples and pagodas and when lit served as an offering to Buddha. Some of the earliest stone lanterns were carved with Buddhist images on the firebox and usually had compartments for an oil lamp or candle. Later on, they became more secular in nature, and their use evolved as functional and decorative elements in traditional Japanese tea gardens where they served as a spiritual source of light for evening tea ceremonies. Often carved from granite stone, today’s vintage survivors serve as fashionable aesthetic elements in modern day Japanese and Asian inspired gardens. Today, during festivals and ceremonies, rice paper is often cut to fit stone lantern windows to increase reflection of candles placed inside them. Soon these paper lenses disappear and for one special evening and event, the glow is surreal.
There are four main categories of antique Japanese stone lanterns...
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Meiji lanterns for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Meiji lanterns for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 19th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage lanterns created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, building and garden elements and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, iron and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Meiji lanterns made in a specific country, there are Asia, East Asia, and Japan pieces 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. Prices for lanterns differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $600 and tops out at $3,500 while the average work can sell for $1,805.