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.
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Cedar
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Bronze
1920s Japanese Vintage Edo Furniture
Iron
20th Century Chinese Edo Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Leather, Textile, Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Silver, Enamel
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Cypress
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Pottery
1860s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Cypress
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silk, Wood, Paper
1970s Japanese Vintage Edo Furniture
Silk, Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Cedar, Pine
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Brass, Iron
1840s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silk
1850s Asian Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
17th Century Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
1670s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
17th Century Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Pottery
1670s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
1670s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
1850s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Paper
1670s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Lacquer
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Cedar
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Brass
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Cedar
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Ceramic
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Stoneware
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silver Leaf
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Sandstone
Late 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Cedar
Early 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Cedar
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Cypress
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
18th Century Antique Edo Furniture
Silk
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain