Edo Asian Art and Furniture
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.
Early 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Cedar
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1840s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
1850s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Textile, Wood, Lacquer, Paper
Late 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Cedar
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Cedar
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Lacquer
1780s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Cedar
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Silk, Wood, Paper
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Copper, Iron
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
1820s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Coral
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Bamboo, Cedar
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Brass
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Pewter
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
20th Century Japanese Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Paper
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Metallic Thread
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Gold Leaf
20th Century Japanese Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Paper
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Enamel
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Silk, Wood, Paper
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Stone
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Copper
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Lacquer
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Fabric, Wood
16th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Pottery, Stoneware
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Paper
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Pottery
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Lacquer
Late 18th Century Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1700s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Cypress
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Shell
Early 1700s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Metal
1850s Japanese Antique Edo Asian Art and Furniture
Paper