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.
Japanese Antique Paper-Covered Low Writing Desk 1857s / Low Table Wabi-Sabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is a very old Japanese low writing desk covered with paper. Within its simple and restrained presence resides a quiet tension and spiritual depth that only furniture shaped by l...
Copper
$1,380
H 13.78 in W 39.77 in D 39.97 in
1910s-20s Japanese antique wabi sabi Zataku, low canter table, low coffee table
Located in 常陸大宮市, JP
Japanese antique Zataku low table for 4 people, a set of tabletop & wooden leg frame. Aimed to make as Kotatsu table (heat table with brazier) in winter. Tabletop material is ma...
Hardwood, Cedar
$900
H 23.82 in W 24.22 in D 12.6 in
Japanese Antique Black Box / Side Table Exhibition Stand / 1868-1912s/ Wabi-sabi
Located in Iwate-gun Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate Prefecture
This is an old wooden storage box made in Japan. It is thought to date from around the Meiji period and is made of cedar. It has a simple design with no metal fittings. The overall m...
Wood, Cedar
Japanese Antique Low Table, Wabi Sabi
Located in Katori-Shi, 12
This is an antique wooden low table from the Meiji period (1986-1912). The curved legs are beautiful. It was used as a workbench by craftsmen at the time. The material is high-qual...
Wood
$1,800
H 9.06 in W 39.38 in D 24.81 in
Japanese Antique Brutalist Low Table 1900s-1940s / Side Table Wabi Sabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This low table boasts an impressive organic form, seemingly a direct reflection of natural shapes. The powerful wood grain, characteristic of a single slab, and the subtle black tex...
Wood
Wooden Low Table, Japanese Antique, Wabi-Sabi, Mingei
Located in Katori-Shi, 12
This low table was loved by craftsmen as a "workbench" during the Meiji period. The wood grain, which has deepened with age, is reminiscent of the warm lifestyle of that time. A cu...
Wood
$1,600
H 7.88 in W 32.49 in D 20.28 in
Japanese Antique Brutalist Low Table 1900s-1940s / Display stand / Wabi Sabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This piece is a low table crafted in Japan during the early Showa period, circa 1900s–1940s. It is made from a massive zelkova tree, a hardwood renowned for its strength and express...
Wood
$2,100
H 10.44 in W 52.56 in D 53.55 in
Japanese Antique Wood Low Table , Primitive Low Table , Wabi Sabi
Located in Katori-Shi, 12
This is an antique low table from the Taisho period. The table top is made of five pieces of Shurizakura wood with beautiful grain, and its rich expression captivates the viewer. In...
Wood
$1,500
H 4.73 in W 53.15 in D 23.04 in
Japanese Antique Sculptural Floor Plinth / Low Table / Wabi-sabi Primitive
Located in Iwate-gun Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate Prefecture
Nature as the Master Sculptor This monumental floor platform, known in Japan as an Okidoko, is a singular piece of organic art crafted from a massive, aged slab of Japanese Hardwood....
Hardwood
$1,320
H 17.33 in W 35.63 in D 11.62 in
Japanese antique Black Urushi low display stand, wabi sabi side table or bench
Located in 常陸大宮市, JP
Japanese antique low display stand manufactured circa 1880s - 1910s (Mid to late Meiji period), estimate from the style, technique & conditions. Finished with traditional black Urush...
Wood
Japanese antique stand / wabi-sabi stand / Flower stand
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This table stand combines a zelkova tree trunk base with a karinn (quince) wood tabletop. The zelkova trunk that forms the base is hollow inside and has an organic shape that evok...
Wood
Japanese Low Table, Wabi-sabi, 1920s, Japan
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
The antique low table, that was crafted from old Japanese wood. The top panel has been roughly shaved and showcases various marks and scratches that tell a story of its history. It...
Wood
$1,400
H 15.75 in W 46.46 in D 23.82 in
Japanese antique wooden low table/1868-1920/Wabi-sabi coffee table
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This item is a stately Wabisabi wooden low table with a wooden box from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period (1800-1912) in Japan as the table base, combined with an old oak...
Oak
Sold
H 9.85 in W 34.45 in D 9.06 in
Japanese Antique Wabi-Sabi Low Table Edo period 1800s-1860s / Side Table
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an old Japanese low table, crafted during the Edo period (1800s–1860s). It is a rare piece of furniture that has survived through the centuries to the present day. Made of su...
Cedar
Antique Japanese Tansus on Custom Bases/Nightstands
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This listing is for two Japanese tansus with custom made metal stands. The piece on the left has two drawers and the piece on the right has a pair of sliding doors and five smaller d...
Iron
Scarce 17th Century Japanese Lacqueurware Ebonized Tray Table
Located in Forney, TX
A rare 17th century ebonized Japanese lacquered tray with original gilt decoration, featuring trailing foliate vines and florals. The lacqueurware tr...
Lacquer
Sold
H 20.48 in W 19.69 in D 18.9 in
Japanese Old Tree Root Stand 1860s-1920s/Antique Object Natural Wood Wabisabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
A display stand made of old Japanese natural wood. The age is unknown, but it is quite old. Over time, it weathers and remains beautiful. The shape is also interesting and beautif...
Wood
Sold
H 16 in W 16.5 in D 12.5 in
Japanese Mother of Pearl Inlaid Incense Stand, Edo Period, Early 19th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A lovely Japanese lacquer and mother of pearl inlaid small side table, Edo Period, Ryukyu Islands or Okinawa, early 19th century. ...
Mother-of-Pearl, Softwood
Antique Japanese Lacquer Presentation Table
Located in Hudson, NY
Late Edo period (1614-1868) antique Japanese presentation table in dark brown lacquer with dark red details.
Lacquer
Pair of Antique Japanese Tansus with Custom Bases
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of wood tansus that can be either stacked on top of each other as a chest of drawers or, separated on custom stands as nightstands or side tables. Old natural patina with some old worm wood...
Iron
Ornate Japanese Side Table, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The growth of urban centers and spread of wealth during the Edo period in Japan ushered in an era that reveled in the aesthetic qualities of objects and actions in everyday life. This ornately carved...
Hardwood
19th Century Japanese Shop Tansu, Chest of Drawers
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th century Japanese double stacked (two tansus) with drawers. Can be separated into two separate pieces, and used separately. All original hardware, and bamboo nails. This was an o...
Wood
Pair of 19th Century Low Japanese Tansus, Nightstands
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of 19th century Japanese tansus on custom iron bases. Sold as a pair. All original hardware, bamboo nail. Functional drawers and door. Beautiful patina. Very functional as night...
Pair of Japanese 19th Century Tansus/Nightstands on Iron Bases
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of tansus on custom iron bases. Both have two drawers each, all original hardware, bamboo nails. Very functional. Make a perfect pair of nightstands...
Wood
Pair of Tansu Nightstands
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of 19th century Kiri wood, tansus on custom iron bases. Original hardware and bamboo nails. Two drawers each. Handsome patina.