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.
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Enamel, Bronze
1920s Swedish Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Copper
1920s Swedish Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
1860s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Enamel, Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Polyester
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Japonisme Furniture
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Palisander
Late 19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
1970s French Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Fabric, Lacquer
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
Early 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain, Paint
Late 19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Cotton
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ormolu, Enamel
1950s Belgian Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Faience
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Iron
1890s Asian Antique Japonisme Furniture
Fabric, Canvas
1870s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Asian Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Paper, Wood
1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Metal