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 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Plastic
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1870s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal, Bronze
19th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1960s Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Iron
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Giltwood, Lacquer, Wood
1850s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 1900s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Copper, Wrought Iron, Zinc
Mid-19th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Copper
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1880s American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver, Copper
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brocade, Silk
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Crystal, Bronze, Enamel
1920s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wood
1930s Philippine Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wood
1880s American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver, Copper
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Paint, Paper
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ivory, Softwood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Brocade, Silk
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brass
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Furniture
Fabric
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Gold
1990s Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Paint
1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Paper
19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1870s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ormolu
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Terracotta
1890s American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Japonisme Furniture
Silver
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ormolu
1920s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
1940s English Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Gold, Enamel