Japonisme Chairs
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 1900s French Antique Japonisme Chairs
Wood, Paint
2010s Turkish Japonisme Chairs
Wood, Oak, Plywood
2010s Turkish Japonisme Chairs
Wood, Oak, Plywood
2010s Asian Japonisme Chairs
Wood, Oak, Plywood
2010s Asian Japonisme Chairs
Wood, Oak, Plywood
2010s Asian Japonisme Chairs
Wood, Oak, Plywood
2010s Asian Japonisme Chairs
Wood, Oak, Plywood
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Chairs
Palisander
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Chairs
Softwood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Chairs
Ceramic, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Chairs
2010s Slovenian Japonisme Chairs
Oak
1880s English Antique Japonisme Chairs
Beech
2010s Slovenian Japonisme Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Chairs
Polyester, Birch, Ash
Late 19th Century English Antique Japonisme Chairs
Walnut, Giltwood
2010s Dutch Japonisme Chairs
Steel
2010s Dutch Japonisme Chairs
Steel
20th Century Japonisme Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Japonisme Chairs
Oak
Late 19th Century English Antique Japonisme Chairs
Walnut
2010s Slovenian Japonisme Chairs
Oak
Mid-19th Century Antique Japonisme Chairs
Oak
19th Century Antique Japonisme Chairs
Wood
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Chairs
Plywood
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Chairs
Plywood