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Edo Furniture

EDO STYLE

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.

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Style: Edo
A Set of Six Takatori Ware Dishes Now Mounted
Located in Stamford, CT
A set of Six Takatori Ware plates. One employing the Japanese Kintsugi technique of using gold to repair cracked ceramics. As a philosophy, kintsugi is similar to the Japanese phi...
Category

Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture

Materials

Stoneware

A Set of Six Takatori Ware Dishes Now Mounted
A Set of Six Takatori Ware Dishes Now Mounted

A Set of Six Takatori Ware Dishes Now Mounted

$8,500
Japanese ceramic box with lid, 19th c
Located in Stockholm, SE
A Japanese ceramic box with lid. The glazing has motives of flying swans. A signature at the bottom of the box.
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Japanese ceramic box with lid, 19th c
Japanese ceramic box with lid, 19th c

Japanese ceramic box with lid, 19th c

$1,363 Sale Price
20% Off
Large Japanese Scroll of a Tiger
Located in Hudson, NY
Wonderfully large and bold tiger painted in ink and mineral pigments on silk mounted with silk brocade border. Seal reads: Miyaguchi (alternative reading: ...
Category

Early 1800s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture

Materials

Silk

Large Japanese Scroll of a Tiger
Large Japanese Scroll of a Tiger

Large Japanese Scroll of a Tiger

$16,800
Early 19th Century Japanese Wood Noh Mask
Located in Hudson, NY
Early 19th century Japanese wood noh mask, This mask comes in its original kiri wood storage box, which is signed and dated: Koran, 1811 (Edo period). The box...
Category

1810s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture

Materials

Gesso, Wood

Early 19th Century Japanese Wood Noh Mask
Early 19th Century Japanese Wood Noh Mask

Early 19th Century Japanese Wood Noh Mask

$8,500
Japanese Sculpture Okimono of a Dutchman, Dutch Colonial, 18th Century
Located in Amsterdam, NL
An extremely rare wood Japanese Okimono of a Dutchman playing with a bat Edo period, 18th-19th century or earlier The Dutchman is standing and h...
Category

Early 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture

Materials

Boxwood

Japanese Sculpture Okimono of a Dutchman, Dutch Colonial, 18th Century
Japanese Sculpture Okimono of a Dutchman, Dutch Colonial, 18th Century

Japanese Sculpture Okimono of a Dutchman, Dutch Colonial, 18th Century

$29,387
Unpei Kameyama, 'a View of Black 'American' Ships in the Bay of Uraga Senminato'
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Unpei Kameyama (1821-1899) A view of black (American) ships in the bay of Uraga Senminato, Miura district, June 1853 The Japanese text reads: ‘The seventy-six old men for the Kitamura-clan, drawn in 1897 on request of Yoshisada Kitamura, Himeji, the black ships which so much changed the fate of Japan, enjoy please this masterpiece by Harima Shonin Bisei who brings back memories of his young days.’ Watercolour on paper, laid down on cardboard, H. 44.5 x W. 115.5 cm Provenance: Collection of Yoshisada Kitamura, Himeji Yoshisada Kitamura (1838-1899), the son of a farmer in the village of Ogawa, in the district of Harimakashikihigashi, studied under Matajiro Otaka and got heavily involved in the anti-Shogunate movement. He was active in several military incidents against the Shogunate. After the Meiji restoration, he served the Meiji government as a local official in the Himeji domain. Kameyama Unpei was a Confucian scholar, a Shinto priest...
Category

Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture

Materials

Paper

Unpei Kameyama, 'a View of Black 'American' Ships in the Bay of Uraga Senminato'
Unpei Kameyama, 'a View of Black 'American' Ships in the Bay of Uraga Senminato'

Unpei Kameyama, 'a View of Black 'American' Ships in the Bay of Uraga Senminato'

$11,696
Evolving Elegance: An Oxidized Silver Screen from the Meiji Period
Located in Fukuoka, JP
This anodized 6-panel screen captures the serene and minimalistic beauty of a bamboo grove, embodying the aesthetic principles of the Edo period. The screen features subtle and delic...
Category

18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture

Materials

Silver Leaf

Evolving Elegance: An Oxidized Silver Screen from the Meiji Period
Evolving Elegance: An Oxidized Silver Screen from the Meiji Period

Evolving Elegance: An Oxidized Silver Screen from the Meiji Period

$6,060

Edo furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Edo furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include asian art and furniture, wall decorations, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Edo furniture made in a specific country, there are Asia, East Asia, and Japan pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando Hiroshige), Arita, Ryosuke Harashima, and Kitagawa Utamaro. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $55 and tops out at $1,386,932 while the average work can sell for $2,989.

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