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.
Fine Japanese Split Bamboo Flower Gathering Basket for Ikebana
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A well crafted and elegant Japanese Flower Gathering Basket crafted from split and wound Bamboo in a fine deep stain. With a joined double ring handle and upturned oval basket. Signe...
Bamboo
Japanese ikebana bamboo basket - Showa, 20th
Located in PARIS, FR
Ikebana basket (hanakago) made of dark brown varnished bamboo wickerwork rounded shape with a twisted handle. Ikebana or Ka-do (the way of flowers) is a traditional Japanese art of...
Bamboo, Wicker, Wood
Vintage Japanese Bamboo Ikebana Basket
Located in Chicago, IL
This vintage Japanese flower basket (hanakago) was designed especially for ikebana, the art of floral arrangement. Petite in scale and intricately woven, the basket has an oblong, sq...
Bamboo
Japanese Tall Ikebana Basket, Bamboo, Suruga Sensuji Style
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage bamboo Ikebana basket features tall cylindrical shape with prominent rounded handle. The basket is woven of thin round bamboo strips that are secured with light brown fiber, ...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Japanese Handwoven Bamboo Ikebana Basket. Signed
Located in Fukuoka, JP
Dimensions: 30 × 30 × 37 cm Origin: Japan A beautifully handwoven Japanese bamboo basket from the early 20th century, traditionally used for ikebana flower arrangements. Meticulousl...
Bamboo
Japanese Ikebana or hanakago flower basket in bamboo
Located in PARIS, FR
Dark brown bamboo ikebana basket with twisted handle. The breading of the wickerwork is very intricate and complex and suggests a meditative state on human work and bond to nature. I...
Bamboo
$730
H 11.23 in Dm 5.12 in
Japanese Small Bamboo Ikebana Basket for Ikebana– Handwoven, Early 20th Century
Located in Fukuoka, JP
A beautifully handwoven Japanese bamboo basket, crafted in the early 20th century for use in ikebana (the art of flower arranging). This tall, narrow form with a rounded rim and twis...
Bamboo
Antique Hanging Boat Ikebana Basket, Bamboo, Japanese
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Boat shaped Ikebana basket, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Made of bamboo with copper insert, signature of maker. This one of a kind ikebana basket features an irregular wea...
Bamboo
Superb Japanese Ikebana Bamboo Basket, 20th Century
Located in Fukuoka, JP
A beautiful example of Japanese craftsmanship, this Ikebana bamboo basket dates to the 20th century and showcases a finely woven structure with graceful proportions and elegant verti...
Bamboo
Japanese ikebana bamboo basket - Showa, 20th
Located in PARIS, FR
Ikebana basket (hanakago) in wickerwork of polished bamboo with twisted handle. Features a sheet metal and varnished bamboo vase for the floral arrangement. Mark under the vase Nana...
Bamboo, Wicker, Wood
Japanese Wagumi Handled Bamboo Basket Ikebana
Located in Atlanta, GA
Bold, rustic and with an earthy free spirit, this wagumi style flower basket with twisted handle (ikebana) was designed and woven to evoke a sense of serenity and humbleness during t...
Bamboo
Japanese Bamboo Basket Ikebana by Yamashita Kochikusai
Located in Atlanta, GA
The flower basket (ikebana) on offer was finely woven circa 1920-1930s by Yamashita Kochikusai (1876-1947), one of the most celebrated bamboo artists in Japan. Constructed with bambo...
Bamboo, Rattan
Vintage Japanese Susutake Bamboo Ikebana Basket Wagumi Style
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
The vintage Ikebana basket, or hanakago, features a graphic, but restrained wickerwork in susutake, dark brown smoked bamboo. The low, rounded shape is accentuated by the distributio...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Fine Mid 20th C. Japanese Bamboo Ikebana Basket
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A finely crafted split and stained bamboo handled Ikebana Basket with fine traditional form. The Basket with a strong weave in a mix of wider and slender elements creating a captivat...
Bamboo
Japanese Hokkai Lacquered Picnic Baskets
Located in New Orleans, LA
This remarkable pair of Edo-period lacquered Hokkai, or picnic baskets, was likely crafted for a prominent daimyo (lord) around 1780 during this time of great affluence. Reflecting a...
Gold, Copper
Sold
H 7.8 in W 7.09 in D 6.3 in
Very Rare Antique Baskets Woven with Paper Strings / Japan or Korea / Mingei
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
If you want something special, we recommend purchasing items selected by us. We sell items from all over the world, with a focus on carefully selected old Japanese items. I've seen...
Lacquer, Paper