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.
$1,748 / set
Set of 6 Chairs in the Japandi Brutalist Style
Located in Beerse, VAN
Set of six chairs in the minimalist Japandi style. Simplicity, natural materials and traditional techniques are the main components here. The chairs are made of solid oak with a dar...
Oak
$3,496Sale Price / set|25% Off
Japanese Chairs attributed to Gabriel Viardot, France, circa 1880, set of 4
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Superb set of 4 Japanese chairs. Carved and inlaid wood. Backrest pediments decorated with vegetal friezes marquetry. Feet in the shape of animal claw paws, ...
Fabric, Wood
Set of Six Brutalist Style Dutch Dining Chairs
Located in London, London
Set of six dining chairs A striking set of six Dutch dining chairs from the 1970s, embodying a bold Brutalist aesthetic with a nod to the architectural influence of Afra and Tobia S...
Oak
$1,049 / set
H 42.52 in W 18.9 in D 16.93 in
Set of 6 chairs from the 1970s in the style of Pietro Costantini
Located in SAN PIETRO MOSEZZO, NO
Set of 6 chairs from the 1970s in the Pietro Costantini style. The chairs have a beech wood frame and leather seat. Condition of the set very good.
Leather, Beech
French Wood Brutalist Chairs, Set of 8
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful set of 8 wood mountain chairs from France, 1950s. Brutalist style with carved wood back with three wide slates. Formed wood seat rests on four tapered wood legs. Original w...
Wood
$4,000 / set
H 46.07 in W 17.13 in D 18.9 in
Dining Chairs in the Style of Vittorio Valabrega, 1950, Set of 2
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Dining Chairs in the Style of Vittorio Valabrega, green velvet and wood, Italy, 1950, set of two. These sculpted chairs recall the Art Deco Movement with their elegant shapes. The w...
Velvet, Wood
$6,993 / set
H 36.62 in W 17.72 in D 14.97 in
Set of 6 Biedermeier 'Board Chairs', Cherry wood and Mesh, Austria circa 1830
Located in Regensburg, DE
Set of Six original Austrian Biedermeier Dining Chairs from circa 1830., so called 'board chairs' no seat cushion, but board with viennese mesh. Book-matched cherry veneer on the s...
Natural Fiber, Cherry
$3,200 / set
H 36.62 in W 17.72 in D 16.54 in
Set of 6 French Modern Brutalist Chairs, Charles Dudouyt Style, Made in 1960s
Located in Odense, DK
This set of 6 Modern Brutalist chairs, crafted in the 1960s by a French cabinetmaker are made in the style of Charles Dudouyt, they feature solid pine construction and seagrass seats...
Seagrass, Pine
$16,000 / set
H 46.07 in W 17.13 in D 18.9 in
Dining Chairs in the Style of Vittorio Valabrega, 1950s, Set of 8
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Dining Chairs in the Style of Vittorio Valabrega, velvet and wood, Italy, 1950s, set of eight. These sculpted chairs recall the Art Deco Movement with their elegant shapes. The wood...
Wood, Velvet
$20,663 / set
H 35.04 in W 23.23 in D 26.38 in
Set of 8 contemporary walnut chenille brass Arches dining chairs by InsidherLand
By Joana Santos Barbosa, InsidherLand
Located in Maia, Porto
Best Chair Design at the International Design & Architecture Awards 2021 Honorable Mention at the European Product Design Awards 2021 The Arches dining chair is designed in the ...
Brass, Metal
Set of 6 Brutalist Dining Chairs in Wood and Fabric
Located in Antwerp, Antwerp
Magnificent and unusual set of 6 massive oak chairs, circa 1950. Original green velvet seats. These chairs convey a brutalist yet organic look.
Velvet, Wood
$12,000 / set
H 46.07 in W 17.13 in D 18.9 in
Dining Chairs in the Style of Vittorio Valabrega, 1950, Set of 6
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Dining Chairs in the Style of Vittorio Valabrega, green velvet and wood, Italy, 1950, set of six. These sculpted chairs recall the Art Deco Movement with their elegant shapes. The w...
Velvet, Wood
$1,954Sale Price / set|45% Off
H 37.01 in W 18.51 in D 21.66 in
1960's Set of Six Danish Oak Dining Chairs in Henning Kjaernulf Brutalist Style
By Ørum Møbler, Henning Kjærnulf
Located in Knebel, DK
1960's Set of Six Danish Oak Dining Chairs in Henning Kjaernulf Brutalist Style The set of 6 chairs in Henning Kjærnulf's characteristic brutalist style where he combined a modern l...
Oak
Set of 6 brutalist dining chairs, 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Mid century brutalist dining chairs with newly upholstered comfy black bouclé fabric. Very sturdy chairs with a nice design. Good original condition. 1960s - Germany Dimensions: ...
Bouclé, Oak
George Nakashima Attributed "Straight" Chairs, 1950s
Located in Coronado, CA
A stunning pair of George Nakashima attributed "Straight" chairs in solid oak, likely produced by Knoll in the 1950s. Beautifully shaped seats, tapered spindles, and splayed legs mak...
Oak
Sold
H 43.31 in W 24.41 in D 23.63 in
Elegant Set of 8 "Japonisme" Dining Chairs - France, Circa 1890s
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Very unusual set of Napoleon III era Japonisme-style dining room chairs (six chairs and two carvers). The spindle backs fan upwards and outwards. Faux-bamboo structure (some...