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.
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
1810s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brass
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Palisander
Late 19th Century Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Paper
1870s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Enamel
1970s German Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo
17th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
Mid-18th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Silk
Mid-18th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Bentwood
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-18th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Canvas, Wood
1860s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Enamel, Bronze
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Metal
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Giltwood, Wood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
1880s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan
20th Century European Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Japonisme Furniture
1880s British Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
2010s Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Glass
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze, Enamel
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ormolu, Enamel
1870s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Onyx, Bronze
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Malachite, Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Canvas, Wood
19th Century Unknown Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo, Rosewood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Japonisme Furniture
Wood
1880s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Cotton
19th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Ormolu, Brass
Mid-18th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain