In Christie’s inaugural online auction of Japanese Art, we are pleased to offer a selection of artworks from the Meiji period (1868-1912). The art of this period reflects the flowering of the Japanese traditional crafts on the international scene, against the background of an intense national pride in the Meiji Constitution and the adoption of Western styles and fashions. The works on offer include finely-crafted cloisonné, metal work, lacquer, and ceramics among others. While reflecting the traditional subjects, forms, and techniques of Japan, they represent a new era for this nation and its developing relationship with the west.