At the turn of the twentieth century, Yamanaka & Company was one of the world’s largest Japanese, Chinese, and Korean art dealers. Established in 1894 by Yamanaka Sadajiro (1866-1936) upon his arrival in New York from Osaka, Japan, the dealership ultimately opened offices in Boston, Chicago, London, Paris, Shanghai, and Beijing. Yamanaka & Company’s sales catalogs transmitted knowledge about high-end East Asian artifacts Image of Yamanaka & Company to elite audiences and collectors. The company also donated works to Collections and American museums, encouraging the American public to learn about Japanese and Chinese art.

Anti-Japanese prejudice and xenophobia during World War I led the United States government to seize and liquidate much of the company’s inventory. The dealership eventually reopened after the war.