Japonisme Scholar's Objects
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.
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Wood, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Metal
1980s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Maple
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Bamboo, Rattan
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Wood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone, Metal
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Bamboo, Rattan
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Silver
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Rattan, Wood, Lacquer
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Bamboo, Wood
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Bamboo
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Wood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Wood
1920s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Ceramic
2010s Chinese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
2010s Chinese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Bone
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Wood
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Bamboo
20th Century Chinese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone, Other
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Bamboo
1940s Vintage Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Hardwood
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Soapstone
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Bamboo
Late 20th Century Chinese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
1910s Japanese Vintage Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Silver, Sterling Silver
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone
20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Bamboo
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Ceramic
18th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Stone, Silver
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century Japanese Antique Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Scholar's Objects
Wood