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.
Mid-20th Century Dutch Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Silver
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Japonisme Furniture
Silver
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Boxwood
2010s Japonisme Furniture
Smoked Glass, Wood, Oak, Plywood
Late 20th Century Danish Japonisme Furniture
Pottery, Clay, Ceramic
2010s Italian Japonisme Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sheet Metal, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Metal
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Paper
1880s Belgian Antique Japonisme Furniture
Earthenware
1890s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Art Glass
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Rattan
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Silk
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
2010s Asian Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Oak, Plywood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Silk, Linen
2010s Turkish Japonisme Furniture
Oak
1980s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Maple
1870s French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Japonisme Furniture
Paint
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Rattan
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Rattan
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Faience, Ceramic
2010s Turkish Japonisme Furniture
Oak, Plywood
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brass
1880s American Antique Japonisme Furniture
Sterling Silver, Copper
1940s American Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Giltwood, Paper
Mid-20th Century American Japonisme Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Pottery
Late 19th Century English Antique Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Brass
2010s Asian Japonisme Furniture
Smoked Glass, Wood, Oak, Plywood
Late 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic, Fabric, Plastic
Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Bamboo, Paper, Elm
2010s Asian Japonisme Furniture
Glass, Wood, Oak, Plywood
Mid-18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Boxwood
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Furniture
Brass
1980s French Vintage Japonisme Furniture
Enamel
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
Mid-18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Lacquer
Late 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Furniture
Bronze
2010s Turkish Japonisme Furniture
Wood, Oak, Plywood
Late 20th Century Japonisme Furniture
Porcelain