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.
Japanese antique stone Buddha "Nyoirin Kannon" Edo period / 1750-1850
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a statue of Nyoirin Kannon (Nyoirin Kannon) created in Japan during the mid- to late Edo period (circa 18th to 19th centuries). Nyoirin Kannon is a form of Kannon Bodhisattva...
Stone
Japanese antique stone Buddha / Divine General / Guardian deity / Edo period
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a stone guardian deity statue created in Japan during the mid to late Edo period (18th–19th century). It is carved from a single piece of natural stone. With a height of 38.5...
Granite
Japanese Tall Antique Stone Garden Spiritual Jizo 19thc. 30 Inches
Located in South Burlington, VT
From our recent Japanese Acquisitions An early and hard to find Japanese large 30" tall scale hand carved stone Jizo holding his staff of compassion. Signed on both sides in kanj...
Stone
$1,920Sale Price|20% Off
Japanese Big Antique Stone Garden Kanon Guan Yin in Royal Ease 19thc 24 Inches
Located in South Burlington, VT
From our recent Japanese Acquisitions An early and hard to find Japanese larger scale hand carved stone Kanon in a mudra of contemplation. Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu is beautifully depi...
Stone
$2,280Sale Price|20% Off
Japanese Large Antique Stone Garden Kanon Guan Yin in Royal Ease 19thc, signed
Located in South Burlington, VT
Big, Beautiful And Signed From our recent Japanese Acquisitions An early and hard to find Japanese larger scale hand carved stone Kanon in a mudra of contemplation. Nyoirin Kannon ...
Stone
$720Sale Price|20% Off
Japanese Antique Stone Garden Kanon Guan Yin in Royal Ease 19thc.
Located in South Burlington, VT
Big, Beautiful And Signed From our recent Japanese Acquisitions An early and hard to find Japanese hand carved stone Kanon in a mudra of contemplation. Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu is b...
Stone
$3,040Sale Price|20% Off
Japan Large Stone Sculpture Double Buddha Jizo
Located in South Burlington, VT
Large work of garden art, 18th/19th century, 200 years old Japanese stone rectangular plaque Jizo Bosatsu in unusual "double Jizo" Desojin panel form. It stands tall in a fine m...
Granite
Late 19thC Cast Iron Lawn Jockey in Old Paint
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Spectacular and most likely a 19th century representation of a lawn jockey in cast iron. In excellent antique condition with minimal wear, some separation at the seams where they joi...
Iron
Large and Whimsical Cast Stone Windmill Garden Sculpture
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A vintage cast stone windmill garden sculpture with window, doorway and faux patches of worn casing revealing the brick superstructure below. The conical roo...
Cast Stone, Copper
$3,975
H 14.57 in W 19.3 in D 13 in
Large Carved Stone Sculpture, Agra Style, India, Circa 1500, 200 lbs
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
M/222 - Museal stone high relief Gandhara from India (actual Nord Pakistan): a very rare piece , mounted on a robust iron base. Ask Your architect where ...
Stone
Tranquil Chinese Stone Bodhisattva Head
Located in Chicago, IL
Exuding an energy of calm and tranquility, this larger-than-life stone bust depicts a Buddhist bodhisattva in serene meditation. A disciple of the Buddha, a bodhisattva is a compassi...
Limestone
$5,928Sale Price|24% Off
H 16.75 in W 35.75 in D 17.75 in
Antique Stone Lion Statue from France, circa 1860
Located in Dallas, TX
This is a 19th century French reconstituted stone lion statue lying down on a rectangular base. The sculptor who did the original of this statue has...
Cement
Chinese Stone Garden Sculpture of Welcoming, Happy Buddha
Located in Hudson, NY
Chinese carved garden sculpture of welcoming, happy Buddha. Carved white marble.
Marble
Japan Tall Antique Classic Edo Period Kasuga Stone Lantern
Located in South Burlington, VT
An early antique beauty with all original pieces. Please view our video. Japan, a tall and stone lantern with fence like engraved designs on its firebox , carefully crafted in six ...
Stone
Antique Stone Frog Fountain
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This darling green painted stone frog is the perfect way to liven up any garden. Ripples in the skin and ridges along the back give it a wonderfully realis...
Stone
$2,275 / set
H 22 in W 13 in D 9 in
Vintage English Statues LIONS PAIR Garden Figures Cast Stone Yard Decor 22" Tall
Located in Tyler, TX
Vintage English Cast Stone Statues PAIR LIONS Garden Figures Yard Decor Original aged patina sitting on a rectangle base with Fleur De Lis shields The perfect accent piece or foca...
Stone
Japan Large Antique Bronze Seated Kanon Beautiful Face
Located in South Burlington, VT
Japan, a large 49" tall antique early 20th century elegant cast bronze seated Kanon Maitreya, Guan Yin in a pensive pose. This example is the oldest and largest version of this bro...
Bronze
Chinese Gilt Guan Yin Buddha Bronze Sculpture
Located in Bradenton, FL
Chinese Gilt Guan Yin Buddha Bronze Sculpture. This piece features delicate facial features, serene expression, and flowing robes, embodying the peaceful and compassionate nature of ...
Bronze
Cast Stone Garden Pagodas A Pair
Located in Bradenton, FL
Beautiful large pair of Japanese cast concrete Pagoda Garden Statues. These statues are made of durable, weather resistant concrete and have a muted stone-gray appearance with subtle...
Concrete
Sold
H 20.87 in W 11.03 in D 8.67 in
Japanese antique stone Buddha "Kannon Bodhisattva" / Edo period/ Garden ornament
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This stone Buddha statue is thought to have been created during the Tenmei era (circa 1781-1789) in Japan's mid-Edo period. Although difficult to read, the characters "Tenmei" can be...
Granite
Sold
H 18 in W 8 in D 7.5 in
Japanese Rare Serene Hand Carved Stone Shinto Rice Prosperity Goddess , 19thc
Located in South Burlington, VT
From our Japanese Acquisitions - An ancient design with an unique modern contemporary feel. Imagine this wonderful antique stone sculpture in your indoor gallery or favorite garden...
Stone
Sold
H 13.71 in W 8.35 in D 6.11 in
Japanese antique: Three monkeys from the Edo period / 19th century / "San-en"
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
[This item is sold as a set of three.] This stone statue of the "Three Wise Monkeys" is believed to have been created around the late Edo period in Japan. Widely known as "see no ev...
Stone
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H 16.46 in W 9.06 in D 8.67 in
Japanese antique stone pagoda tip/Edo period/Temple item/Garden decoration
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is the upper tier of a pagoda that is said to have once stood within the grounds of a Japanese temple. In Japan, stone pagodas have long been built within temple grounds and rev...
Stone
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H 12.6 in W 8.27 in D 5.91 in
Small stone Buddha made in the Edo period in Japan/18th to 19th century
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This small stone Buddha dates back to the Edo period (around 1603–1868), and the moss and weathering on the surface of the stone quietly tell the story of time’s passage. Made from s...
Stone
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H 16.54 in W 9.06 in D 4.93 in
Japanese antique stone Buddha “Nyoirin Kannon”/1750-1850/garden ornament
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This Buddha is called "nyoi-rin-kannon" in Japanese. It is a Buddha statue that grants wishes as you wish and removes suffering. This sitting figure with his hands on his cheeks show...
Stone
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H 9.57 in W 4.53 in D 3.23 in
Japanese antique small rice field god / Edo period / Jizo Bodhisattva stone stat
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is an old Japanese stone figurine in the shape of Jizo Bodhisattva. In Japan, there is a concept of Shinbutsu Shugo, which is the idea of merging gods and Buddhas. This statue...
Stone
Sold
H 26 in W 15 in D 7.5 in
Japanese Big Antique Stone Garden Kanon Guan Yin in Royal Ease 19thc 26 Inches
Located in South Burlington, VT
From our recent Japanese Acquisitions An early and hard to find Japanese larger scale hand carved stone Kanon in a mudra of contemplation. Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu is beautifully depi...
Stone
Sold
H 18 in W 12.5 in D 6.75 in
Japanese Antique Serene Stone Buddha Kanon Guan Yin, Edo Period Signed 19c
Located in South Burlington, VT
From our Japanese Acquisitions Imagine this wonderful antique stone sculpture in your garden- a warm and lovely example seated in a quiet, rel...
Stone
Japanese Antique Stone Double Protector Figure Jizo Buddha
Located in South Burlington, VT
An old circa early 19th century Japanese stone Jizo Bosatsu in unusual "double Jizo" Desojin form stands tall in a fine minimalist state having endured natural weathering from good ...
Stone
Japan Large Antique Stone Joyful Temple Lion, 19th Century
Located in South Burlington, VT
Japan a tall early antique stone temple mythical Shi Shi Temple Foo Dog Lion also known as Komainu hand-carved in sandstone. Dimensions: 23 inches high and 10 inches wide and 16 inches deep Age: good age dating to the middle Edo period (1800-1840). Old and original patina with aged and traces of encrustation still visible. Ancient repair. These Older Buddhist mythological Komainu like this example are infrequently found in not only this impressive size, but in this early age. Today these are often seen guarding entrances to Japanese Buddhist temples and shrines. About Shishi Komainu Ah and Un: Temple Shishi are traditionally depicted, one with mouth open (Ah) and one with mouth closed (Un). Ah is the first sound in the Japanese alphabet...
Sandstone
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H 13 in W 8.12 in D 7.72 in
Japanese antique stone jewel-shaped ornament/Edo period/garden decoration
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is thought to be part of a large stone lantern made in Japan during the late Edo period (late 18th century to late 19th century). I think it's the tip of the tower. It is likely...
Stone