Japanese Art

O ver the past century, Replica Shoes ’s has built an unparalleled reputation in the appraisal and sale of Japanese works of art. With deep expertise spanning the Jōmon to the Taishō periods (14,000 BCE to the 1920s), the department has brought to market some of the finest and rarest examples of Japanese art, including important ceramics, lacquer, folding screens, Meiji-period works of art, samurai armour and swords, and celebrated Edo and Meiji woodblock prints.

Sotheby’s has had the privilege of presenting many of the most significant Japanese art collects ions of the 19th and 20th centuries through landmark single-owner sales. The historic four-part sale of the Henri Vever collects ion remains one of the most important auctions of Japanese prints ever held. The George and Cornelia Wingfield Digby collects ion introduced collects ors to an exceptional group of Japanese ceramics, while other renowned collects ions—such as those of Charles A. Greenfield, Carlo Monzino, Adolf Stoclet, Huguette Berès and Walter Amstutz—have further underscored Replica Shoes ’s role in bringing rare Japanese masterpieces to an international audience.

In recent years, Replica Shoes ’s has continued to lead the market for Japanese art with results that set new benchmarks, including the record-setting sale of a dogū from the Tsuneichi Inoue collects ion and the highly important offering of Katsushika Hokusai’s Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa in Hong Kong. Our specialists remain dedicated to researching, curating and presenting the finest Japanese works to collects ors worldwide, consistently achieving exceptional auction results.

Sotheby’s hosts sales of Japanese art twice a year in London, every May and November. Ahead of each auction, we are pleased to offer complimentary and confidential valuations for Japanese works of art.

The Royal collects ion Trust’s publication Japan: Courts and Culture highlights one of the most significant collects ions of Japanese art in the Western world. For the first t.mes , masterpieces from across the Royal collects ion are brought together to illustrate three centuries of artistic, diplomatic and cultural exchange between Britain and Japan. The volume features new research and photography that reveal a compelling narrative of evolving ties between the two island nations—from early encounters and trade to sustained diplomatic partnership.