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.
Freer Gallery of Art, The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
