Japanese Art

O ver the past century, Sotheby’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 collections of the 19th and 20th centuries through landmark single-owner sales. The historic four-part sale of the Henri Vever Collection remains one of the most important auctions of Japanese prints ever held. The George and Cornelia Wingfield Digby Collection introduced collectors to an exceptional group of Japanese ceramics, while other renowned collections—such as those of Charles A. Greenfield, Carlo Monzino, Adolf Stoclet, Huguette Berès and Walter Amstutz—have further underscored Sotheby’s role in bringing rare Japanese masterpieces to an international audience.

In recent years, Sotheby’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 Collection 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 collectors 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 Collection Trust’s publication Japan: Courts and Culture highlights one of the most significant collections of Japanese art in the Western world. For the first time, masterpieces from across the Royal Collection 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.