Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
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.
1930s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1960s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
1950s Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Art Glass
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1980s Italian Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
1970s French Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
20th Century American Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 20th Century French Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1930s American Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Early 2000s German Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
20th Century French Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
Mid-20th Century German Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
Early 20th Century British Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Shagreen
Early 19th Century English Antique Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1950s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
1920s English Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Gold, Sterling Silver
1910s German Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
1930s North American Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 20th Century Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Jute, Blown Glass
1960s Vintage Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 20th Century Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Jute, Glass
2010s North American Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 20th Century Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Jute, Glass
Late 20th Century Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Bone, Fabric, Hardwood
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 20th Century Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Blown Glass, Jute
Mid-20th Century Japonisme Collectibles and Curiosities
Blown Glass