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
16th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Stoneware
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Pottery
1790s Asian Antique Edo Furniture
Silk, Parchment Paper
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Cedar
1820s Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Boxwood
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Pottery
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Celadon, Ceramic
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Wood
Mid-17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Silk, Wood, Paper
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Shell, Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Pottery
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Bronze
1860s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Brass
1890s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Paper
Early 1700s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Pottery
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Wood
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Ceramic
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Ceramic
Early 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold, Pewter
20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Ceramic
Early 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Pottery
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Pottery
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Copper
17th Century Chinese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Ceramic
1690s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Iron, Silver
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Porcelain
1920s Japanese Vintage Edo Furniture
Paper
1670s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Furniture
Wood
2010s Japanese Edo Furniture
Brass
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Pottery
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Stone
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Copper
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Ceramic
1860s Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Furniture
Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron