Japonisme Textiles
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Textiles
Silk
1870s French Antique Japonisme Textiles
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Textiles
Silk
Late 20th Century Hungarian Japonisme Textiles
Wool, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Textiles
Silk, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary American Japonisme Textiles
Linen
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Textiles
Abalone, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century American Japonisme Textiles
Linen, Textile
Mid-20th Century American Japonisme Textiles
Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Uzbek Japonisme Textiles
Cotton, Silk
Mid-20th Century Uzbek Japonisme Textiles
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary American Japonisme Textiles
Cotton, Velvet
Early 2000s American Japonisme Textiles
Fabric
20th Century Indian Japonisme Textiles
Metallic Thread
2010s American Japonisme Textiles
Fabric
20th Century French Japonisme Textiles
Fabric
Mid-19th Century French Antique Japonisme Textiles
Giltwood
20th Century Turkestan Japonisme Textiles
Metallic Thread
19th Century French Antique Japonisme Textiles
Silk
1960s Vintage Japonisme Textiles
Fabric
19th Century Uzbek Antique Japonisme Textiles
Metallic Thread
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Textiles
Silk, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Textiles
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Textiles
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Japonisme Textiles
Linen
1890s Japanese Antique Japonisme Textiles
Silk, Wood
Late 20th Century Uzbek Japonisme Textiles
Wool, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Textiles
Silk
Mid-20th Century Uzbek Japonisme Textiles
Cotton, Wool
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Textiles
Silk
1970s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Textiles
Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Japonisme Textiles
Silk