Japanese Meiji Cabinet

Japan Chest

Tansu Furniture

Commode Japan

Antique Tansu

19th Century Japanese Chest

Wabi Sabi Cabinet

Materials

Materials

Brass

Japanese Cabinet In Cinnabar Red Lacquer, Meiji Era Japan

Unavailable

Unavailable

H 63 in W 28 in D 22 in

Japanese 19th Century Rosewood Butsudan

Located in Corona Del Mar, CA

Richly appointed Rosewood Japanese Butsudan Cabinet from the Meiji Period which was from 1868- 1912.

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Cabinets

Small Lacquered Japanese Kazaridana Cabinet, Edo Period

Unavailable

H 21.66 in W 24.81 in D 13.78 in

Small Lacquered Japanese Kazaridana Cabinet, Edo Period

Located in Saverne, Grand Est

Precious and rare small kazaridana lacquered on all sides with two drawers and three panels decorated with fish, landscapes and birds. The removable panel reveals a locker with a sma...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Lacquer

Materials

Wood

Japanese Nagasaki Lacquer and Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Display Cabinet

Unavailable

H 35 in W 22 in D 13 in

Japanese Nagasaki Lacquer and Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Display Cabinet

Located in New York, NY

Japanese Nagasaki lacquer and colored mother of pearl inlaid display cabinet (Kazaridana) on a stand, possibly intended for export, with the charming design of folding fans as the ra...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Furniture

Materials

Mother-of-Pearl, Wood

Early 20th Century Japanese Satsuma Cabinet Vase and Bowl Set, Marked

Unavailable

Sold

H 36 in W 43.5 in D 17 in

Japanese Tansu Cabinet

Located in New York, NY

A Japanese Tansu cabinet or chest in dark finish, with metal trim and pulls and hinges.

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Cabinets

Japanese 19th Century Meiji Period Apothecary Cabinet with 27 Drawers and Doors

Sold

H 52.5 in W 37.5 in D 15.5 in

Japanese 19th Century Meiji Period Apothecary Cabinet with 27 Drawers and Doors

Located in Yonkers, NY

A Japanese Meiji period apothecary cabinet from the 19th century, with 27 drawers, sliding doors and calligraphic annotations.

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Apothecary Cabinets

Materials

Metal

19th Century Japanese Two Part Matsu Wood Cabinet - Meiji Period

Sold

H 67 in W 72 in D 19.5 in

19th Century Japanese Two Part Matsu Wood Cabinet - Meiji Period

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Lovely Matsu wood cabinet with original lacquer. Six sliding doors, eight drawers and two sliding doors with chicken wire.

Japanese Two Section Tansu from Nihonmatsu Meiji Era

Sold

H 47.5 in W 45.5 in D 19 in

Japanese Two Section Tansu from Nihonmatsu Meiji Era

Located in Vancouver, British Columbia

19th century Meiji period Japanese two-section Tansu chest in lovely original condition. The two-button locking mechanism and brass butterfly details identify this as a chest from t...

Materials

Wood

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H 41.74 in W 51.97 in D 17.72 in

Scandinavian Modern cabinet '2661' by Mjölby Intarsia, Sweden, 1940s

By Erik Mattsson 1, Mjölby Intarsia

Located in Eskilstuna, SE

Exceptional cabinet or sideboard model '2661' by unknown designer and executed by Mjölby Intarsia in Sweden during the 1940s. Beautiful wooden inlay on doors. Key included. One of...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets

Materials

Beech, Oak, Teak, Walnut

Ernesto Valabrega for Studio Vittorio Valabrega Decorative Fireplace Mantel

$27,500

H 46.46 in W 101.58 in D 20.28 in

Ernesto Valabrega for Studio Vittorio Valabrega Decorative Fireplace Mantel

By Vittorio Valabrega

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Ernesto Valabrega for Studio Vittorio Valabrega, decorative fireplace mantel, lacquered wood, plaster, glass, iron, Italy, 1930s This striking decorative fireplace mantel, presumabl...

Category

Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Fireplaces and Mantels

Materials

Iron

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Japanese Meiji Cabinet For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the Japanese meiji cabinet you’re looking for at 1stDibs. A Japanese meiji cabinet — often made from wood, metal and iron — can elevate any home. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect Japanese meiji cabinet — we have versions that date back to the 19th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. Each Japanese meiji cabinet bearing hallmarks is very popular. You’ll likely find more than one Japanese meiji cabinet that is appealing in its simplicity, but Century Furniture and Kinkozan produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is a Japanese Meiji Cabinet?

A Japanese meiji cabinet can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $5,073, while the lowest priced sells for $495 and the highest can go for as much as $250,000.

A Close Look at Meiji Furniture

From 1868 to 1912, Emperor Mutsuhito oversaw an era of transformation in Japan. Formerly a country of feudalism and isolation, Japan entered an age of modernization influenced by newly established trade and exchange with the West. The Meiji period, or period of “enlightened rule,” also saw the global impact of the East Asian country’s culture. Japanese Meiji furniture was exhibited at expositions from Paris to San Francisco and created for export.

Prior to the Meiji era, furniture was mostly made by commission for the ruling class; now there were new domestic and international markets. European styles like Japonisme appropriated Japanese design while craftsmen in places like Wales and England employed japanning, a varnishing technique that approximated the appearance of lacquer for the surfaces of furnishings.

Meiji furniture made for Japanese homes and buildings constructed in Western styles resulted in taller tables, chairs, cabinets with large drawers and other features. The government invested in areas such as transportation and communication, and because people could freely choose occupations after the restrictions of feudalism, industries of various types were energized by expressive new ideas during those years. Art schools were formed and, for the first time, design was an area of study in the country, leading to the evolution of professional design as a career by the 1890s.

The work of Japanese designers was transmitted widely through lavishly illustrated pattern books that included designs for screens and lacquerware for the home. While screens today may be of use as decorative accents or partitions to ensure privacy in one’s space, Japanese screens were adorned with paintings and were featured in performing arts such as concerts, tea ceremonies and more. The color illustrations that characterize Meiji woodblock prints, a genre of Japanese art that grew out of 17th-century developments in printing and book publishing, depicted the sweeping changes that the era brought to East Asia.

Although it was a time of societal and cultural shifts, a bolstered interest in art and design elevated Japanese craft traditions. From colorful porcelain table lamps with silk shades and hardwood tables decorated with dark lacquer to cabinets featuring iron hardware and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Meiji furniture showcased Japan’s artistic heritage to the world.

Find a collection of antique Japanese Meiji period case pieces and storage cabinets, decorative objects, wall decorations and more furniture on 1stDibs.

Finding the Right Case Pieces And Storage Cabinets for You

Of all the vintage storage cabinets and antique case pieces that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items.

In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior.

Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time.

Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room.

In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.

A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Alternatively, apothecary cabinets are charming case goods similar in size to early dressers or commodes but with uniquely sized shelving and (often numerous) drawers.

Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard that features colored glass and metal details, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.