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.
2010s Turkish Japonisme Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Turkish Japonisme Furniture
Stainless Steel
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Iron
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paper
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paper
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paper
1870s English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paper
2010s Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Stoneware
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paper
20th Century Asian Japonisme Furniture
Terracotta
Early 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Paint, Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Mirror, Bamboo
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan, Wicker
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Tin
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paper
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
Late 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Plastic
Late 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
1910s European Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Wood
1960s Unknown Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Faux Bamboo, Glass
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Griotte Marble, Bronze
2010s Asian Japonisme Furniture
Smoked Glass, Wood, Plywood
1940s English Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Gold, Enamel
Early 2000s Spanish Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Japonisme Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel
1980s French Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Enamel
Late 19th Century East Asian Antique Japonisme Furniture
Zinc
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Granite
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1940s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Shell, Wood, Driftwood, Pine
19th Century Unknown Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Turkish Japonisme Furniture
Canvas, Oak, Plywood
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Spanish Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Gold Plate, Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Giltwood, Lacquer, Wood