Edo Decorative Objects
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.
1860s Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery
Early 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Stoneware
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Porcelain
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery, Ceramic
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Gold
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Copper
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Wood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century Asian Edo Decorative Objects
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Hardwood
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Pottery
1730s Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Gold
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Wood, Lacquer
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Wood, Lacquer
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Cypress
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1750s Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Shagreen, Cypress
Early 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Lacquer
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Gold
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Wood, Lacquer
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Shell, Brocade, Silk, Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper
1810s Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Gesso, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Decorative Objects
Gold
16th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Rock Crystal
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Decorative Objects
24k Gold