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.
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Furniture
Brass
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Wood
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Enamel
Late 20th Century Hungarian Japonisme Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1910s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal, Enamel
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Lead
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Brocade, Silk
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Papercord, Wood
20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Copper
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Textile, Acrylic
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1890s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
2010s American Japonisme Furniture
Paper
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century German Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
1880s American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver, Copper
2010s American Japonisme Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Rattan, Wood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo, Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Wood
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Wood
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
1890s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
20th Century English Japonisme Furniture
Bone, Hardwood
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Silk
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Paper
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Giltwood
1880s North American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
1920s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century North American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brocade, Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Silk
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silk
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Textile, Silk