Estimation Japanese art

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Japanese art

Do you own any Japanese art? Are you curious to know what they are worth? Our Experts can provide an appraisal to give you an estimate of the market price, then help you to ensure the best possible price should you decide to sell.

Japanese Art History

The development of Japanese art is intimately linked to the unique history of Japan, where influences from the continent have been integrated, assimilated and appropriated.

The pivotal period dates back to the 6th and 7th centuries when Buddhism tended to course through Japan’s veins. This correlation was an opening to external cultures, and it was with Korean and then Chinese models that craftsmen nurtured their artistic range.

If Korea was seen as an initiator in the craft, China and India were seen as places of fruitful exchanges, whose characteristic models allowed the Japanese to learn and then illustrate according to their own stylistic framework of expression.

Singular inspirations and ranges

The art of pottery in Japan has its roots in the pottery made by Chinese craftsmen. The 13th century sawone of the first ever Japanese glazed pottery pieces, delivered by an artist who had completed an apprenticeship in China.

As far as porcelain is concerned, it developed in reaction to the contributions of Chinese traditions during the 14th century and found its full development between the middle of the 18th century and the early decades of the 19th century.

The art of painting, which can be traced to around the 7th and 8th centuries, with the first attributions in the field of religious painting going back to the priest Eshin at the end of the 10th century. This first pictorial era draws inspiration for its subjects from the Buddhist universe and Chinese tradition, with the great religious painters of the Tang dynasty.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the subjects and representations remained academic, and consisted of landscapes and portraits, in keeping with the Tokugawa dynasty of shoguns, paving the way for the Edo period.

Ukiyo-e, images of the floating world, held an important place in Japanese art, presenting works of both popular register and woodcuts. With the artist Suzuki Harunobu, instigator of the Japanese print celebrated until the West in the 19th century. The names of U. Hiroshige and K. Hokusai prestigious for their prints.

Japonisme influenced a whole section of Western culture during the 19th century, with the integration of the prints into French painting, for example. Henri Rivière, a collector right from the beginning, took up its codes: composition, stylistic treatment,  singular palettes and landscape motifs.

Sculpture holds a less important place in Japanese art, as it is less popular with artists, and remains linked to religion and the culture of Buddhism.

The finest hour of Japanese art

If the aesthetic opposition characterizes Japanese art, which is sometimes exuberant, sometimes disciplined; revealing simplicity, elegance and refinement.

In the Asian art market, Japanese print pieces can be quite successful, such as a view of Mount Fuji signed by Hokusai which sold at auction at Christie’s for nearly 600,000€ in 2007. Another record was set in the past decade by a Kitagawa Utamaro, dated from the late 18th century, which sold in 2016 for nearly 745,000€ (fees included).

How do we appraise your Japanese artworks?

Requesting an online valuation of your asiatic art is simple. You just need to complete our appraisal form with a brief description and some photos. This information will be sent directly to one of our Japanese experts who will provide you with a price range and sales advice.

A team of experts and auctioneers

If you own a Japanese art, use our online form for an appraisal.

You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent opinion of the market price. Should you wish to sell your Japanese art, our specialists will also advise you on the various options available for selling at the best price.

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