Edo 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 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Paper
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Shell, Brocade, Silk, Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silk
Early 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silk, Paper
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Asian Edo Furniture
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Bronze
1810s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Paper, Silk
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Cypress
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
Late 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silk, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Hardwood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Silk
Late 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Bronze
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Porcelain
1840s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silk
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Shagreen, Cypress
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold
Early 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
17th Century Chinese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Bronze
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood
Early 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Boxwood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1810s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gesso, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Furniture
Gold
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paint, Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
1850s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold
Early 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Ceramic
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silk
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Iron
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Edo Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Earthenware
2010s Japanese Edo Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silk, Paper
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
Early 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Lacquer