Yamanaka & Co. collection

Historical/Biographical Note

Historical/Biographical Note

Yamanaka & Co. were the preeminent dealers of Asian art, specifically Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, in the early- to mid-20th century. Established in 1984 by Yamanaka Sadajiro (1866-1936) in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, New York, the dealership quickly expanded, opening galleries in Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; London, United Kingdom; Paris, France; Shanghai, China; and Beijing, China. The company's Boston gallery operated from various locations on Boylston Street throughout its years of operation. By 1917, Yamanaka & Co.’s New York gallery took over a five-story building on Fifth Avenue. Yamanaka was well-known for negotiating purchases and acquisitions of art for museums and other collectors, as well as donating to Japanese and Chinese collections in major galleries across Europe and the United States.

Yamanaka & Company continued to operate after the founder’s death in 1936, but was forced to close its New York, Boston, and Chicago galleries following the United States’ entrance into World War II. The gallery’s holdings were seized and later sold by the Alien Property Custodian in 1944. The company reopened after World War II and continued operation in the United States in a reduced capacity until they permanently closed in 1965. The company continued operation in Osaka, Japan, until 2003.