Japonisme Antiquities
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.
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
19th Century Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Wood
Mid-18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Cedar, Bamboo
Early 19th Century Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Iron, Gold Leaf
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Leather
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Wood
Mid-18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood
Mid-18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Bronze, Enamel, Gold Leaf
1920s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Antiquities
Wood
2010s Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Brass
2010s Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Wood, Fabric
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Paper
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Porcelain
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Bronze
2010s Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Brass
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Lacquer
20th Century European Japonisme Antiquities
Lacquer
1890s Asian Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Fabric, Canvas
Late 19th Century Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Silver
19th Century Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Jade
20th Century Japonisme Antiquities
Wood
19th Century Chinese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Porcelain
20th Century French Japonisme Antiquities
Bamboo
2010s Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Wood, Fabric
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Boxwood, Lacquer
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Iron, Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Chinese Japonisme Antiquities
Soapstone
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Wood, Boxwood
19th Century Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Glass
19th Century Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Art Glass
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Wood
Early 20th Century Japonisme Antiquities
Metal
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Silver, Enamel
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Wood
2010s Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Brass
1910s Asian Vintage Japonisme Antiquities
Wrought Iron
19th Century Asian Antique Japonisme Antiquities
Wood
1920s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Antiquities
Porcelain, Pottery
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Tin
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Wood
2010s Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Brass
2010s Japanese Japonisme Antiquities
Brass