Edo Animal Sculptures
EDO STYLE
Edo furniture was created during a flourishing time for the decorative arts owing to the stability of the Tokugawa shogunate rule in Japan. Spanning from 1603 to 1867, this era of peace and economic growth supported artistic advancements in lacquer, woodblock printing, porcelain and other artisanal trades. Because the country was largely isolated, there was little outside influence, leading to centuries of exceptional attention to the design of its furnishings and the quality of its traditional arts.
Unlike during the Meiji period that followed, with an increase in domestic and international markets, furniture during the Edo period was predominately commissioned by the ruling class, although people from across social groups benefited from the burgeoning metropolitan hubs for artisanal trades. For instance, Kyoto became a major center for lacquer art. Most furniture pieces were made from wood such as cedar or ash, including the era’s sashimono cabinets, which involved fine joinery and were rooted in the Heian period.
Sashimono cabinets, which were built by master craftsmen in a range of different wood types owing to the various trees that populate Japan, occasionally featured a stack of slender drawers as well as sliding doors. They were popular with everyone from samurai to kabuki actors. Tansu storage chests crafted from wood with metal fittings were also common in Edo-period homes. Some were designed to be easily portable while others were made to double as staircases.
Painted folding screens, called byōbu, were also fashionable, with Japanese artists inspired by nature, literature and scenes of history and daily life to create vivid works. In Buddhist temples and the palatial homes of the aristocratic class, fusuma, or large sliding panels, would sometimes be adorned with gold or silver leaf. These dividers allowed interiors to change throughout the day, closing in small spaces for personal use or reflecting candlelight to illuminate communal spaces after dark.
Find a collection of Edo tables, lighting, decorative objects, wall decorations and more furniture on 1stDibs.
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Style: Edo
Japanese Antique Wooden Lion Mask Engraving Edo Period/1603-1868/Shrine Festival
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a very old Japanese "si-si" mask made in the middle to late Edo period.
(Japanese ``si-si'' is an imaginary animal that deifies a lion.)
It is thought that materials such as...
Category
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Edo Period Bronze Eagle
Located in Guadalajara, Jalisco, MX
Beautiful bronze eagle from the edo period, hand carved.
Category
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Japanese Edo Carved Wood Foo Dogs
Located in New York, NY
Japanese Edo period pair of foo dogs in delicately carved wood. The dogs have uniquely expressive faces, one with open mouth, the other with closed mouth ...
Category
1750s Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Japanese Momoyama Carved Wooden Shinto Temple Lion Dog Figures
Located in New York, NY
Japanese Momoyama period carved wooden Shinto temple entry figures in the form of royal lion dogs seated in traditional pose. The pieces have had some co...
Category
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Pair of Bronze Geese
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Important pair of Japanese bronze birds in the form of geese masterfully crafted. One with a closed beak the other open, both with quirky expressi...
Category
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Rare Buddhist Carved Base for a Statue, Edo Period, 17th Century
Located in Prahran, Victoria
Rare and unusual hexagonal Buddhist base for a statue with a recumbent shi-shi (guardian lion dog), gilded and carved with inset glass eyes and painted with mineral pigments.
Most likely the base to a sculpture of Monju Bosatsu...
Category
Mid-17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
Materials
Wood
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Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
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This Buddha statue is Yakushi Nyorai.
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This Buddha statue also holds a pot of medicine in his left hand.
Also, his right hand is missing, and his right palm is normally facing the opponent.
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Antique Japanese Porcelain Edo Period Dish Floral Imari
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
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Saucer dish
Additional information:
Material: Porcelain & Pottery
Type: Tea/Coffee Drinking: Bowls, Cups & Teapots
Category: Blue & White ...
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Japanese Small Bronze Edo Buddhist Temple Shrine Buddha Statue Amulet Sculpture
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H 3.75 in W 1.5 in D 0.75 in
Previously Available Items
Japanese Very Old Pottery Komainu 'Lions'/1750-1850/Edo/ Aichi Prefecture
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is an imaginary beast that has existed since ancient times in Japan called Komainu.
And they are made of various materials, most of which are stone, wood or ceramic.
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Japanese Antique Wooden Lion Mask Engraving Edo Period/1750-1868/Shrine Festival
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This is sold as a set of two.
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Komainu or Shishi (shisa), often referred to as lion-dogs in the West, are statue pairs of lion-like creatures either guarding the entrance or the honden, or inner shrine of many Japanese Shinto shrines...
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H 9 in W 19 in D 9 in
Japanese Antique Pottery Lion Figurine / Hand Roasting / Large Incense Burner
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Kyoto pottery made from the late Edo period to the Meiji period (1800-1912).
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H 11.42 in W 15.16 in D 13 in
Japanese Old Wood Carving Horse 1800s-1900s/Antique Sculpture Folk Art Wabisabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
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Probably from the Edo period.
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Japanese antique Wood Carving Horse 1800s-1900s/Sculpture Figurine Wabisabi art
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
It is an old Japanese wood carving horse.
It is from the Edo period.
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Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
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H 26.58 in W 25.99 in D 7.49 in
Japanese Edo Period Carved Wood Foo Lion Dogs, Komainu, Early 19th Century, Pair
Located in Austin, TX
A charmingly grotesque pair of Japanese mingei (folk) carved guardian lions, komainu, Edo Period, early 19th century.
Each carved from a single block of hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood. They are portrayed seated on their haunches, hunched, as if ready to pounce. Their oversized heads surrounded by a bushy mane, with bulging eyes, teeth bared in a ferocious grin. One has its mouth open, performing the Buddhist seed syllable "ah" (beginning), the other with its mouth closed, expressing the Buddhist seed syllable "un" (end). Taken together, they represent the cycle of life, and symbolize balance.
Komainu are commonly confused with the related karashishi, and are often referred as foo lions or foo dogs...
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Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
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H 10.5 in W 4 in D 6 in
Japanese Edo Period Bronze and Champleve Goose Form Censer, Mid-19th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A charming Japanese bronze incense burner in the form a goose or duck, Edo period, mid-19th century. The well cast fowl stands to two we...
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H 10.25 in W 12 in D 4 in
19th Century Japanese Edo Period Deer Form Bronze Censer
Located in Austin, TX
A stunningly elegant Japanese bronze censer in the form of a spotted deer, Edo period, early 19th century. The animal portrayed standing on impo...
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Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
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Japanese Hand-Wrought Iron Escutcheon Plate from a Tansu Chest
Located in South Burlington, VT
Here's a beautiful and serene way to accent your indoor art space or outdoor garden space with this rare Buddhist treasure from Japan.
Our hard to find large antique 19th century ...
Category
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Animal Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Edo animal sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Edo animal sculptures for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 19th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage animal sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, asian art and furniture and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Edo animal sculptures made in a specific country, there are Asia, East Asia, and Japan pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for animal sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,000 and tops out at $19,950 while the average work can sell for $4,500.