Japonisme Furniture

A rare pair of early nineteenth century faience pottery vases and covers, decorated in the Imari taste, with gilded lion finials, the bodies profusely decorated with figures, exotic ...

Japanese masterpiece Ikebana basket, Intricately tightly woven fashioned from madake bamboo fine detail. An important collectors addition a masterwork i...

A 19th French century pair of Lacquered Bamboos Japonisme vases. An amazing pair of tall cylindrical bamboo vases decorated in Japanese Gold and Sil-ver Hiramaki-E Lacquer with Pavilions in The Mist and Weaving Figures, Flown Over by a Pair of Cranes. Enclosed in a Sino-Japanese Inspiration Golden and Brown Patina Bronze Mount Featuring Elephant Heads, Partially Openwork Branches and Salamanders Forming Side Handles. Circa 1870 Attributed to Édouard Lièvre (1828-1886) and Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) Édouard Lièvre (1828-1886) is one of the most talented and prolific designer and industrialist of the 19th Century, his repertoire is sometimes Sino-Japanese or Neo-Renaissance, whether in furniture or works of art, we can note in particular the parade bed of Valtesse de La Bigne, furniture commissioned by the painter Édouard Detaille or even Sarah Bernhardt, and the famous works in collaboration with Maison Christofle or those in gilded bronze and cloisonné enamel edited by Ferdinand Barbedienne, presented at the Universal Exhibitions in 1878, 1889 and 1900. He was both a draftsman, painter, illustrator, engraver, ornamentalist and cabinetmaker, first trained in the studio of the painter Thomas Couture, Lièvre was then fully immersed in the world of decoration, creation and ornamentation and provides designs for manufacturers and merchant-publishers. Often assisted by his brother Justin, he first produced works of art for his own apartment, seeking out the finest craftsmen to execute his designs for bronzes, ceramics, fabrics and luxury furniture from great virtuosity and great taste. He then collaborated with the cabinet-maker Paul Sormani, as well as haberdasher merchants such as the Escalier de Cristal, bronziers such as Maison Marnyhac and especially Ferdinand Barbedienne as on our vases with bronze mounts characteristics of Edouard Lièvre's work. Born in 1810, died in Paris in 1892, Ferdinand Barbedienne, the most important caster of bronze pieces of art during the second half of the 19th Century, created and directed in Par-is one of the major artistic foundries of his time. Barbedienne specialized in classical reproductions, whose models were exposed in famous European museums. Their illustrated catalogues included many diverse objects such as busts, ornemental sculpture (clocks, candelabras, cups) sometimes even life-sized and bronzes for furniture. Apart from his own produc-tion, Barbedienne worked for the most renowned sculptors such as Barrias, Clésinger and Carrier-Belleuse. All his works were highly esteemed and he, himself honored by contemporary critics. At the London exhibition in 1851 Barbedienne’s firm won two « Council medals ». At the 1855 Universal Exhibition, he won a medal of honor. The success of Barbedienne’s firm brought him many official commissions, such in about 1860, as Barbedienne supplied bronzes for furniture for the Pompeian Villa of Prince Napoléon-Joseph, located avenue Montaigne in Paris. At the London Universal Exhibition of 1862 Barbedienne won medals in three different categories: Furniture, Silversmith work and Artistic bronzes. Barbedienne was made an officer of the Légion d’Honneur in 1867 and Commander in 1878 when he was compared with « a prince of industry and the king of bronze casting ». His glory did not decline with the passage of the time for at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 the critics thanked Barbedienne for the example he set for other bronze-casters by the perfection of his bronzes. “Japonisme” in the second half of the 19th century, was a craze for everything that came from Japan or imitated its style. The word was first coined in a series of articles published by Philippe Burty, from May 1872 to February 1873, in the French magazine “la Renaissance Littéraire et Artistique”. Far from the Academic sphere, artists seeking for new ways of expression, appropriated this discovery. Manet and the impressionists led the way to half a century of enthusiasm for Japanese art, and largely contributed to the esthetical revolution Europe experienced between 1860 and the beginning of the twentieth century. From 1862, The World’s Fairs provoked massive arrivals of fans, kimonos, lacquers, bronzes, silks, prints and books that launched the real era of Japonisme. With those exhibitions, the demand was boosted, the number of merchants and collectors was multiplied, and artists became passionate about this new esthetic. For them, its “primitivism” was probably its most important quality: artists were fond of the Japanese art’s capacity to be close to nature and to reconcile art and society by representing, with a lot of care, the most trivial objects. In painting, Edouard Manet, Mary Cassatt, Degas, Van Gogh, Gauguin were among those who were deeply inspired by Japanese art, affected by the lack of perspective and shadow, the flat areas of strong color, the compositional freedom in placing the subject off-center, with mostly low diagonal axes to the background. The Japanese iris, peonies, bamboos, kimonos, calligraphy, fish, butterflies and other insects, the blackbirds, cranes and wading birds, the cats, tigers, and dragons were endless sources of inspiration, appropriation, and reinterpretation for European artists. The occidental productions were combining styles and artistic conceptions instead of copying Japanese art slavishly. That is what brings to light the comparison between the artworks of Kitagawa Utamaro and Degas, of Katsushika Hokusai and Van Gogh The World’s Fairs of 1851 and 1862 in London, those of 1867, 1878, 1889 and 1900 in Paris, of 1873 in Vienna and of 1904 in Saint Louis presented a number of “Japanese-Chinese” installations with earthenware, bronzes, screens and paintings and attracted the largest amounts of visitors In Vienna, the “Japanese village...

A very fine miniature ceramic vase in satsuma ware by Taizan Yohei (1864-1922) circa 1880-1890s of late Meiji period. The vase with a broad flat shoulder ...

Exquisite square planter in the Japonisme style. The whole planter is structured on bamboo-style edges. Each face is decorated with flowers and leaves on a vivid blue background/ Ea...

A 19th century French Japonisme style corner cabinet with sturdy burnt bamboo frame and solid rosewood panels. Above the cabinet is an open shelf supp...

A delicate and rare Japanese ceramic vase by the important Meiji imperial potter Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916) circa 1887-1910. Dated to his underglaze phase post 1887 after he successful...

Japanese gold couched thread embroidered scene of two shellfish on a black silk kimono remnant. Mounted inside a gilt frame. Circa 1890-1900.

Rare Japanese style cylinder desk in tinted and carved wood, richly engraved on all sides with foliage, cherry branches and geometric interlacing. Surmounted by two asymmetrical shelves, the cylinder is decorated with an engraved dragon. Opening this cylinder reveals many compartments with adjustable dimensions, a drawer with engraved decoration and letter storage. The cylinder sides can open laterally, allowing a larger area for working and writing. The lower part of the desk is formed on the left by five superimposed drawers decorated with geometric interlacing and carved branches, as well as Japanese characters, deer and mother-of-pearl foliage. On the right, there is a drawer and a door decorated with carved leaves and mother-of-pearl interlacing, revealing four drawers forming compartments. An ingenious mechanism makes it possible, when the cylinder is closed with a key, to completely lock the desk. Gabriel Viardot career began as a wood carver and he produced small furniture, sculpturally carved with naturalistic motifs and animals. In the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris, his finely sculpted objects were well received. However, with the increasing importation of similarly produced Swiss and German articles, he found less opportunity for these and decided to innovate. G. Viardot succeeded to his father’s business in 1861 installed rue Rambuteau in Paris. Around 1870 he turned to the idea of producing « Meubles genre Chinois et Japonais ». The taste in Europe for exotic furniture, incorporating sometimes authentic Chinese or Japanese objects...

A Japanese Kesa (Monk's Vestment) made from fourteen columns of patchworks of blue brocades with sumptuous woven pattern. The elaborate motifs feature re...

Height with lampshade : 133 cm (52,3 in.) / without lampshade : 125 cm (49,2 in.) ; Lampshade - Height 74 cm (29,1 in.) ; Diameter : 86 cm (33,8 in.) Important Japanese style gourd-shaped lamp, made with a polychrome Kutani porcelain vase decorated with lake scene and flowers in cartouches, in the middle of flying waders on a red background. It is covered with its original beige pleated silk lampshade, embroided with flowers and waders. It rests on an « old gold » patinated bronze base with stylized openwork decoration, topped with a Fô dog on each foot. Related work : Japanese enamel porcelain...

Formerly used as dry bar by its Palm Beach owner, this is a magnificent cabinet. It is appointed with figures, birds and florals. Generously scaled and proportioned - it is 43" wi...

An exquisite Japanese sterling silver ornamental bonbon dish, circa 1890-1900. The piece was rendered in the shape of a stemmed branch of chrysanthemum blossom and was made for export market. Both botanically realistic and stylish, the piece showcases a high degree of artisanal sensitivity and technical ability of the silversmith who created this lovely piece. The petals that form the exteriors were outlined with deep and fluid relief lines of sculptural quality. The branches and leaves were rendered with attentions to the smallest details, with molding and surface texturizing using chasing in contrast with hammering. The interior of the dish is equipped with a conforming inner dish and when it is taken out, revealing the chased lines. The piece, although practical, is basically an okimono in sculptural form, a work of art on its own. It weighs about 22 ounces. Under the dish, it is marked "Pure Silver" in Kanji and SM in a rectangular cartouche. The research (carried out by Adrien Von Ferscht, an expert and author on Asian Export Silver) identified it to be Sadajiro Musashiya...

This large blue and white soup tureen was made by Minton and is decorated with the printed pattern "Bath Japan". The pattern consists of scattered flowers with borders resembling woven Japanese mats...

A rare pair of French Japonisme ormolu/bronze and Cloisonne enamel trays attributed to Edouard Lièvre, late 19th century. With cloisonne enamel medallions depicting bouquets of flowe...

A spectacular Japanese embroidered silk panel beautifully presented in a gilt frame suspended in a lucite shadow box with gilt wood border. The silk picture is dated to 1890-1910s toward the end of Meiji Period, when Japanese started to participate international expose by presenting its best art and craft. Elaborate embroidered silk tapestry like this was very popular among westerners due to its superb craftmanship and also exotic subject matter that was often derived from classic Japanese folklore, mythology and various motifs. The tapestry on offer is such an example. It depicts an old couple...

A rare Japanese Koto made from carved Paulownia wood and lavishly decorated with lacquer Maki-e circa late 19th century of Meiji Period (1868-1912). The ...

"Japon" Imari service, produced in 1876 by the Creil & Montereau pottery, shows the great success of Japonism in tableware production, like the Bracquemo...

A pair of Japanese Satsuma glazed earthenware vases with French dore bronze mounts originally as gas lamps, now electrified.

A Japonisme gilt-bronze and brass three-piece clock set French, Late 19th Century Clock: height 52cm, width 31cm, depth 12cm Candelabra: height 55cm, width 32cm, depth 9cm Made in France in the late nineteenth century in the popular Japonisme style, this very fine three-piece clock set consists of a central circular clock...

One of the finest Japanese Maki-e Suzuribakos (ink box) we have on offer, the roiro color box showcases an ambient nocturnal scene in which two shakudo inlaid crows perched on the handrails of a bridge (possible the Uji Bridge...

Superb set of 4 Japanese chairs. Carved and inlaid wood. Backrest pediments decorated with vegetal friezes marquetry. Feet in the shape of animal claw paws, ...

A Japanese lacquered box with lid in the shape of a miniature Hasami-Bako (traveling chest) circa late 18 to early 19th century of the Edo period. The black box is decorated with fin...

Large coat rack / hall stand / cloakroom in faux bamboo and exotic wood. It consists of 6 coat hooks, a large central mirror (112 x 72 cm), an umbrella stand or cane holder with its zinc tray. Art Nouveau Japonism, France, around 1880-1890. Attributed to the Maison des Bambous...

'Pendule Fleur d'Hélianthe' - A Rare 'Japonisme' Cut-Crystal Glass, Gilt and Patinated Bronze Clock by Baccarat, Paris. Stamped 'Baccarat', The clock movement signed 'Planchon à P...

An early Chinese decorated spice barrel A lovely piece, the decoration has seen some losses, this has been stabilised to stop any further deterioration The barrel is made in wo...

A striking Japanese carved wood mask with polychrome paint and lacquer surface. This rare mask is dated to the Edo period (first half of 19th century and possibly earlier). The mask ...

A Japonisme Dragon Motif Copper Clad Vase by Bretby Pottery England, Circa 1890s A large and unusual work by the famed British pottery works, Bretby. The tapering gourd shape vas...

Important series of eight colorful oriental engravings featuring iconic scenes of Japanese life. They are the work of great artists including: Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908) Utagawa Toyokuni (Japanese: ?; 1769 in Edo – 24 February 1825 in Edo) Every item of our Gallery, upon request, is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Sabrina Egidi official Expert in Italian furniture for the Chamber of Commerce of Rome and for the Rome Civil Courts. This series of etching...

A tall pair of Japanese carved wood candle holders circa early 19th century (late Edo Period). The pair is carved in the typical form with a block base in the shape of stylized chrysanthemums and long fluted stem with changes in diameter that supports a grooved holder fitted with metal pricket. These types of oversized candle holders were traditionally used in Buddhist temples or Samurai's resident where they were placed on the altar table for worshiping. What is extraordinary of these candle stickers is that they feature a wonderfully conserved surface with lacquered gold leaf. The sparkling gold on the well weathered surface is visually striking. The professional conservation was performed in 2007 and as a result, the pieces display a wonderful aged Wabi-Sabi patina. The piece retains an original invoice from Far Eastern Antiques...

A large scale and very good quality late 19th century Japanese Imari vase with exotic birds, trees and flowers. Wonderful coloring in vibrant hues of blue, red and rust.

Signed F. Barbedienne on the mount. Charming pair of small curved-shaped vases in patinated and gilded bronze and polychrome cloisonné enamel decorated with flowers and birds. With ...

The attenuated silhouette of this late 19th century bronze table lamp turns heads. It is an antique Asian archaic style bronze. The intricate carving and the oxidized bronze color sp...

Beautiful porcelain planter decorated with imari. On this flowerpot, the background is blue, there are reserves in which appear a dragon and a bird surrounded by red flowers. The upp...

Superb pedestal table / gueridon / side table in carved wood whose feet end in hooves. Presence of 2 lacquered Asian-inspired trays with animal and plant scenes: birds, insects, flowers... In excellent condition, restored. Art Nouveau Japonism, France, around 1880-1890. Attributed to the Maison des Bambous / Alfred Perret and Ernest Vibert. Founded in 1879 in Paris, the Maison des Bambous specializes in the production of bamboo furniture, luxury basketry, the importation of authentically Japanese...

A Japanese glazed ceramic footed dish made in the Ko-Kutani type of Edo period but likely during Kutani revival in the 19th century Meiji Period. The dish with delicate foliaged rim ...

A Royal Worcester porcelain “variety” vase, made in 1876 in the japonisme style. The forced opening of Japan to trade in 1854 led to a craze for Eastern design in the Western worl...

A visually stunning Japanese fukusa panel with an embroidered dragon on a swirling cloud background, nicely displayed on a scarlet felt matt in a carve...

Rare pedestal table / bookcase in Japanese / Chinese / Asian style, richly carved. With red marble top, swivel shelves and tripod base carved with dragon / demon heads and clawed le...

Sagejubako is a portable lunch or picnic set that became popular in the early Edo period when an additional meal was added between breakfast and dinner. It normally consists of a han...

Rare pedestal table / bookcase in Japanese / Chinese / Asian style. Richly carved : top decorated with a dragon, openwork swivel shelves and tripod base carved with clawed legs. Ar...

Japanese bronze geese koros, Late 19th century. The pair of goose koros or censors are in the form of geese with their long necks extended and their ...

19th Century English blue & white Pagoda Plate signed Staffordshire.

A large Japanese silk embroidery tapestry circa 19th century, late Edo to early Meiji period. Meticulously handwork that densely depicts repea...

On offer is a set of five Japanese textile art panels called Oshi-E circa Meiji Period (1868-1912). This usual set of panels depict various aspects of daily life in Edo time with beautiful details. Some of these panels are snapshots of the buzzling commercial activities at the marketplace, providing insight into the signages, architecture, costumes and how people interacted within a historical and pictorial context. Other panels depict daily leisure activities such as lounging in the park or visiting friends. The realistic rendering and attention to details are not short of "photographic" quality. From the signage of the shops to the motions and attires of the individual characters, from the hairstyle, small ornaments, down to the facial expression, were all recorded in great details. Each panel was signed with the artist's name Yukihana in Kanji with a red seal. These panels are unframed and await your custom touch (framing with inner gilt spacer and mat costs about 250-500 depending on the material chosen, see a framed example in the last picture of a single framed panel we have for sale). We offer them for sale individually, but it will be great for a collector to consider the whole set so that they can stay together. The Oshi-E (also known as kiritori zaiku) is a type of ornamental textile art dated back to the Muromachi period (1392-1573). It started among the elite aristocratic women in Kyoto before spreading wider in the Japanese society. Throughout Edo and Meiji period, Oshi-E were sometimes used to make offerings to the altars in the temple and in the late 19th century, it was exported to the west along with the other embroidery textile art. Oshi-E was made by using silk wadding to create a relief design. Various silk fabric swaps and sometimes wires and tassels, often recycled from older kimonos...

A Fine Pair of Gilt-Bronze Mounted ‘Japonisme’ Style Porcelain Vases, Mounted as Lamps. Each vase is of slender ovoid form with a cream craquelure glaze surmounted by a gilt-bronze lotus and flower head cast finial...

Charming Japanese-inspired « pagoda » table in tinted and carved wood attributed to G. Viardot. The rectangular top rests on four slightly curved legs adorned with openwork and sculpted geometric interlacing, joined by an engraved stretcher with a stylized cutout. Gabriel Viardot career began as a wood carver and he produced small furniture, sculpturally carved with naturalistic motifs and animals. In the 1855 Universal Exhibition in Paris, his finely sculpted objects were well received. However, with the increasing importation of similarly produced Swiss and German articles, he found less opportunity for these and decided to innovate. G. Viardot succeeded to his father's business in 1861 installed rue Rambuteau in Paris. Around 1870 he turned to the idea of producing « Meubles genre Chinois et Japonais ». The taste in Europe for exotic furniture, incorporating sometimes authentic Chinese or Japanese objects...

A pair of Japanese Woodblocks each in a fine custom matted frame with fine ebony and gilt decorations. Each signed and dated on the reverse. Listed below. -A courtyard lady in a comm...

A charming Majolica serving tray with wood and metal handles circa 1890. A scene with a swallow and delicate flowers. Attributed to Sarreguemin...

A magnificent Japanese Meiji period (1868-1912) patinated bronze overlay Koro on stand. The body of bellied rectangular section, the sides molded in low relief with various figural s...

A very good quality pair of Japanese Meiji period (1868-1912) Satsuma porcelain vases / lamps. Each with wonderful gilded classical motif decoration, with inset hand painted panels depicting various scenes of courtiers in attendance and Samurai warriors. Both mounted on ormolu oriental stands.

This Japanese suzuribako (ink box) of late Meiji Period (circa end of 19th century) is uncommon with its surface covered with woven basketry in che...

Japanese mixed metal vase Mounted as a lamp Meiji period The bulbous-form body with long conical neck decorated in high-relief copper w...

Japanese style English porcelain ewer by Royal Worcester English, c. 1880 Measures: Height 31cm, diameter 17cm This beautiful ewer is by the celebrated English porcelain makers ...

Figure standing wearing kimono with arms out front. On an iron base. Signed Ch Masse , Sculp, Paris. Provenance , Estate Of William Hodgins. Interior d...

A stunning pair of ceramic vases with gilt, paint and high-relief decoration by imperial artist Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916, also known as Miyagawa Kozan) circa 1876-81 (late Meiji period). These vases belong to early period (1876-1881) of Kozan's repertoire, during which time the high relief sculpturing (known as Takauki ware) was used as a distinguished technique on top of the traditional gilt and paint ornaments of satsuma ware. Due to the relatively limited production and the fragile nature of these wares, not a large quantity of the examples remained in the first place, not mentioning a fine matching signed pair in such impressive sizes. Not only a rarity, this pair of vases is also superb in workmanship, thus the fine example of the work from that short and unique period of the artist's career before he switched to the underglaze period. In a conceptually mirrored fashion, the surface is richly decorated with flying cranes among large lotus leaves and flower, like an idyllic aqua scenery of pure poetry on a circular scroll. The high-relief appliques were rendered and composed in realistic fashion but with a dramatic touch. They are literally about to break the surface free, alive and in motion. The dark colors of the glaze were used to set a moody tone. The approach to create this type of ornamentations is more akin to sculpturing an ink painting in three-dimension than ceramic making. It is not hard to imagine the demand of both the artistry and the technique. Both vases were signed as "Makuzu Kozan Kiln" and each further with another name and seal, which are most likely the individual artist involved in the making process. Similar signatures can be seen in the reference book below. For similarly Takauki vases, see Miyagawa Kozan Makuzu...

A wonderful Japanese Meiji period (1868-1912) Bronze overlay vase. Having exquisite and amusing scenes in relief, patinated and overlay of a Dog of Foo, a Frog fishing in a Lotus lea...

A hanging ink (Sumi-e) silk scroll by Japanese Zen artist Hidaka Tetsuo (1791-1871). Well presented in brocade boarders and mounted on paperback, this scroll depicts "Three Noble Friends in Winter" in a poetic and novel way. One of the favorite subjects by Chinese painters, the three noble friends in winter consists of pine, bamboo and plum flowers. They were admired for their characters of strength in cold resistance to remain evergreen and even blossom in unfavorable condition. The artist, however, composited the subjects in a none-conventional way as Ikebana. Bamboo and flowering plum branches were presented in an oversized pot...