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The 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia provided many Americans with their first direct exposure to Asian art through an array of objects showcased in the Japanese Bazaar. The resulting enthusiasm for Japanese arts was reflected in American decorative arts, furniture, and even print material. Anglo-Japanese furniture was typically painted with a shiny black lacquer to mimic Japanese lacquer. Furniture often had straight lines balanced by solids and voids. Japanese motifs such as flowers, butterflies, fans, fretwork, spiders, and the stylized imperial mon, a circular geometric decorative motif, might be applied. Ladies’ publications praised the new style and provided examples of how to integrate pieces in interiors. The furniture served as an extreme contrast to the highly complex Renaissance Revival style popular at the time. “The Style of Display: Victorian Pedestals” is on display pre-security in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/VictorianPedestals
This image was posted on June 19, 2019.