Japonisme Furniture
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo
1870s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Enamel, Metal
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
1990s Belgian Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Metal, Enamel
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Steel
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
1940s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
1910s European Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Paper
20th Century American Japonisme Furniture
Paper
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Japonisme Furniture
Textile, Linen
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Bamboo
Late 19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
1970s German Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
16th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel
1880s British Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Giltwood, Lacquer, Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Silk
Early 17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Paper
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Bentwood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
Early 2000s Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Rope, Wood, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Canvas, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Palisander
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Japonisme Furniture
Late 19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Canvas, Wood