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.
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Rattan
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Rattan
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Rattan
1980s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Beech
Early 2000s American Japonisme Furniture
Chrome
1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Beech
1970s Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Japonisme Furniture
Rattan
1940s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wool, Walnut
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Acrylic
1970s American Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wicker, Rattan
1960s American Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century European Japonisme Furniture
Chrome
1950s Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Fabric, Rattan
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Beech
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Beech
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Rattan
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Rosewood