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 American Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Glass, Paper
2010s Danish Japonisme Furniture
Stainless Steel
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Turkish Japonisme Furniture
Polyester
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Sommerso
1890s English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brass, Copper
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer, Paint
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Paint, Paper
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Shell, Wood, Driftwood, Pine
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Iron
1870s English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paper
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
2010s Turkish Japonisme Furniture
Canvas, Oak, Plywood
Late 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Glass
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Stone
1910s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Canvas, Silk
1980s Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Paper
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1980s French Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Enamel
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
1880s German Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paint, Canvas
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Enamel
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Softwood
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Japonisme Furniture
Oak
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paper
1940s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Cement
1920s Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
2010s Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-18th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Asian Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century American Japonisme Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Japonisme Furniture
Wool
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
1940s English Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Sandstone
2010s American Japonisme Furniture
Paper
2010s Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1850s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Iron
2010s Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Glass, Ceramic
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo