Skip to main content

Japonisme Pedestals

JAPONISME STYLE

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.

to
2
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
5
2
7
332
261
138
114
50
50
47
33
32
29
25
23
21
19
16
15
8
7
4
3
2
1
6
1
1
1
1
3
3
2
2
2
7
7
7
2
1
Style: Japonisme
Black Japanned and Parcel Gilt Pedestal
Located in Astoria, NY
Black Japanned and Parcel Gilt Pedestal, of columnar form with circular top and base, the sides lightly mottled with gilding and laurel leaf motifs to top. 39" H x 10" Diameter. Prov...
Category

Early 20th Century Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Wood

Rare Japanese-style Pedestal / Gueridon in Carved Wood by Gabriel Viardot
Located in MOUGINS, FR
Carved wooden pedestal table in the Japanese style, stamped by Gabriel Viardot. Square in shape with a red marble slab, lion paw feet. The spacer and sides of the top are made of ca...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Wood

Janetti Father & Sons Japanese Pedestal in Engraved and Painted Bamboo, ca 1880
Located in Roma, IT
Marvelous Japanese pedestal, this delightful object was made in Japan in the late 19th-century and imported into Italy by a famous merchant, Emportio Janetti Padre e Figli. They were the first in trading Japanese art in Florence in the second half of the 19th century. This spectacular piece of rare beauty was fully hand-crafted with perfect proportions. The complex structure is made in engraved and lacquered crossed bamboo with fantastic floreal details. The two round trays are in black lacquered wood with hand-painted decorations. The fine details and the beauty make this pedestal a masterpiece. An unique decorative pedestal of outstanding quality that can be mixed in a neoclassical or mid-century project or in a Japanese style project. Dimensions (cm): Diameter - 37 Height - 112 In the 1870s collecting Japanese art products started to be popular among a wider range of collectors, not only among circles of intellectuals, artists, and designers. This cultural phenomenon also reached Italy, and when a group of Japanese diplomats (Iwakura Mission) arrived in Florence in May 1873, it reported a very positive impression of a shop that sold Japanese...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Swivel Bookcase Table by Gabriel Viardot, France, circa 1880
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Rare pedestal table / revolving bookcase in Japanese / Chinese / Asian style, richly carved. With red marble top with white veins, openwork swivel shelves and tripod base carved with dragon / demon heads and clawed legs...
Category

1880s French Antique Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Marble

Japanese Rosewood Hand Carved Pedestal
Located in Tarzana, CA
Japanese rosewood hand carved pedestal. Japan, circa 1920 Measures: Height 24", width 19".
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Rosewood

Red Lacquer Chinoiserie Side Table
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Red Lacquer Chinoiserie Side Table This is a very auspicious piece, the top of the table has a scene showing 2 Cranes (birds of life) and th...
Category

Late 20th Century Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Lacquer

Pedestal Table in Carved Wood and Lacquered Panels, Japonisme France, circa 1880
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
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...
Category

1880s French Antique Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Wood

Related Items
Pair of Late Qing Dynasty Stands with Carved Aprons and Floral Bird Decor
Located in Yonkers, NY
A pair of late Qing Dynasty stands with painted floral and bird decor and carved aprons. This pair of antique late Qing Dynasty stands, from the early 20th century, captivates with i...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Wood

Chinese Carved Rosewood Plant Stand / Pedestal
Located in San Diego, CA
High quality vintage Chinese carved rosewood plant stand / pedestal, circa 1970s. The stand is in very good vintage condition and measures 11.5...
Category

Late 20th Century Chinese Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Rosewood

Chinese Carved Rosewood Plant Stand / Pedestal
Chinese Carved Rosewood Plant Stand / Pedestal
$520 Sale Price
20% Off
H 29.5 in W 11.5 in D 11.5 in
Grain Painted Side Table / Pedestal
Located in Seattle, WA
Faux painted side table or stand with generous shelf behind door. great detail all the way around.
Category

Early 20th Century Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Wood, Paint

Grain Painted Side Table / Pedestal
Grain Painted Side Table / Pedestal
$1,600
H 32.5 in W 15 in D 15 in
19th Century Hand Carved Stand with Marble Top
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Beautifully carved hardwood square stand with marble top. Carved rosewood with a figurative rouge marble top with lower shelf. Perfect accent piece or for use as a stand for sculpture...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Marble

19th Century Hand Carved Stand with Marble Top
19th Century Hand Carved Stand with Marble Top
$1,600
H 31.5 in W 17 in D 17 in
Pair of French Neoclassical Style Parcel Gilt Mahogany Pedestals
Located in London, GB
Pair of French neoclassical style parcel gilt mahogany pedestals French, early 20th century Measures: Height 104cm, width 41cm, depth 33cm This fine pair of mahogany pedestals i...
Category

Early 20th Century French Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Mahogany

Red Lacquered Pedestal Tray/Table from Thailand, Early 20th Century
Located in New York, NY
A small pedestal tray table, hand-crafted in Thailand, circa 1920. Teak and bamboo finished in black and red lacquer, with mirror and colored stone insets. Turned base. 16 inches...
Category

1920s Thai Vintage Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Glass, Wood

Provincial Chinese Guanyin Table Stand, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
For thousands of years, precious Chinese artworks have been elevated for display on fine wooden table stands. Recognized today as works of art in their own right, these display stands are typically finely carved, crafted of exquisite hardwoods, or designed with the refined proportions of larger furniture pieces. Resembling a low kang table, this waisted table...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Elm

Exceptional Pair Of Carved, Painted And Gilt Baroque Style Pedestals
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A pair of finely crafted carved, painted and gilt finished column form pedestals in the Italian baroque style. The ebonized pedestals are barley twist in form with large carved and g...
Category

20th Century Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Wood

Hand Carved Wood, Timber and Brass Blessing Bedside Pedestal
Located in Bothas Hill, KZN
This bedside pedestal is part of our Blessing collection. Blessing is an artist from Zimbabwe who came to us in the most serendipitous way, he came to...
Category

2010s South African Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Brass

Hand Carved Wood, Timber and Brass Blessing Bedside Pedestal
Hand Carved Wood, Timber and Brass Blessing Bedside Pedestal
$2,150 / item
H 21.66 in W 23.63 in D 17.72 in
Arts and crafts hand carved pedestal, England ca 1880
Located in Zaandam, NL
An extraordinary detailed hand carved arts and crafts pedestal from england, ca 1880. This large pedestal ( 120 cm ) originally was foldable, over time it has been fastened on the in...
Category

1880s British Antique Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Oak

Arts and crafts hand carved pedestal, England ca 1880
Arts and crafts hand carved pedestal, England ca 1880
$1,418
H 47.25 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Pair Solid Wood Carved Ionic Column Pedestals
Located in Round Top, TX
Pair of heavy wood ionic column side tables/pedestals. Entirely hand-carved from wood; super solid and sturdy. We love the Postmodern feel of these columns. They have a playful feel...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Wood

Pair Solid Wood Carved Ionic Column Pedestals
Pair Solid Wood Carved Ionic Column Pedestals
$2,790 / set
H 30 in W 12 in D 12 in
Aglaé Tiered Side Table or Pedestal in Glossy Lacquer by Joris Poggioli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Named for the Greek Goddess of beauty, the Aglaé pedestal by up-and-coming French designer Joris Poggioli is constructed from tiers of lacquered MDF woo...
Category

2010s French Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Wood

Previously Available Items
Janetti Father & Sons Support for Engraved and Painted Bamboo Vase, Japan
Located in Roma, IT
Janetti Father & Sons. Perch Japanese Pedestal in finely engraved bamboo. Support the painted wood. A piece of rare beauty from the late 1800s. Emporio Janetti Padre e Figli and the Japanese Art Market in Florence in the Second Half of the 19th century Emporio Janetti Padre e Figli and the Japanese Art Market in Florence in the Second Half of the 19th century Abstract In the 1870s collecting Japanese art products started to be popular among a wider range of collectors, not only among circles of intellectuals, artists, and designers. This cultural phenomenon also reached Italy, and when a group of Japanese diplomats (Iwakura Mission) arrived in Florence in May 1873, it reported a very positive impression of a shop that sold Japanese...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Solid Cocobolo Display Pedestal Table
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration a very rare pedestal table made on solid cocobolo wood. Beautiful wood grain with rich brown and black tones. The construction has an air of oriental in...
Category

1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Pedestals

Materials

Rosewood

Solid Cocobolo Display Pedestal Table
Solid Cocobolo Display Pedestal Table
H 1.07 in W 18.25 in D 12.25 in

Japonisme pedestals for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Japonisme pedestals for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage pedestals created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include tables, asian art and furniture and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, bamboo and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Japonisme pedestals made in a specific country, there are Asia, East Asia, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original pedestals, popular names associated with this style include Gabriel Viardot, and Janetti. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for pedestals differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,487 and tops out at $3,350 while the average work can sell for $2,774.

Recently Viewed

View All