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 wooden wabi-sabi low table / 1850-1912 / "Fu-zukue"
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This wooden writing desk, known as a "Fu-zukue", dates back to the late Edo to Meiji period. Tatami culture has long been an integral part of Japanese life, where people sat on the ...
Cedar
Japanese antique wooden storage box, Late Edo period , wabi-sabi coffee table
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This piece is believed to be a wooden storage chest known as a karabi-bitsu, made in Japan during the late Edo period (approximately the 18th–19th century). The karabi-bitsu is a tra...
Cedar, Cypress
Japanese Antique Low Table 1900s-1940s / Sofa Table Wabi Sabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an antique low table made in Japan. Crafted in the early Showa period (1900s–1940s), it was originally used in a rural farmhouse, quietly supporting everyday life over many y...
Cherry
$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
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
$1,320
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
$850
H 12.49 in Dm 23.23 in
Japanese Antique Round Low Table, Keyaki, Taisho Era (1912–1926), Wabi Sabi
Located in Hitachiomiya-shi, 08
This antique round low table was crafted in the Taisho Era (1912–1926) from Keyaki (Japanese zelkova). The solid zelkova top displays beautifully figured grain patterns, rich in char...
Wood
$1,000
H 11.03 in W 15.75 in D 10.24 in
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
$1,800
H 22.05 in W 24.81 in D 23.63 in
Japanese Antique Black Wooden Coffee Table / Side Table / 1868-1912s / Wabi-sabi
Located in Iwate-gun Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate Prefecture
A Masterpiece of Nature: This extraordinary coffee table (originally a traditional Japanese mortar, or Usu) is carved from a single, massive block of wood where the tree trunk natura...
Hardwood
Japanese Antique Low Table 1860s-1920s / Sofa Table Wabi Sabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an old Japanese low table. Its long, horizontal proportions create a calm and balanced presence, bringing a quiet sense of stability to a space. Free from excessive ornamenta...
Wood
Wabi Sabi Coffee Table, Belgium, Late 20th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
This coffee table, produced in Belgium in the late 20th century, is defined by a reduced and architectural composition, where horizontality and proportion take precedence over orname...
Oak
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
$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
Japanese antique wooden black low table / 1850-1912 / Edo-Meiji
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
I have just received a very attractive Japanese low table. This is a wooden writing desk made between the end of the Edo period and the Meiji period. A writing desk is a small table ...
Cedar
Sold
H 10.44 in W 35.83 in D 14.57 in
Japanese antique wooden wabi-sabi low table / 1850-1912 / "fu-zukue"
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This wooden writing desk, known as a "Fu-zukue", dates back to the late Edo to Meiji period. Tatami culture has long been an integral part of Japanese life, where people sat on the ...
Cedar
Sold
H 10.75 in W 35.04 in D 10.83 in
Japanese antique wooden wabi-sabi low table / 1850-1912 / "fu-zukue"
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a wooden low table made from the end of the Edo period to around the Meiji period. Since ancient times, Japan has had a tatami room culture, where people sat down to do what...
Cedar
Japanese old wooden low table/ wabisabi coffee table/1850-1920
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This Japanese antique wooden black low table was made between the late Edo and Meiji periods. All materials are cedar wood. Cedar has been a common wood used for tools and furniture ...
Cedar
Japanese old wooden low table/ wabisabi coffee table/1850-1920
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This Japanese antique wooden black low table was made between the late Edo and Meiji periods. All materials are cedar wood. Cedar has been a common wood used for tools and furniture ...
Cedar
Sold
H 9.61 in W 38.27 in D 13 in
Japanese old wooden low table/wabisabi coffee table/1850-1920/sofa table
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is an antique Japanese wooden black low table made from the late Edo period to the Meiji period. All materials are cedar wood. Cedar is a tree that has been commonly used for Ja...
Cedar
Japanese old wooden low table/wabisabi coffee table/1850-1920
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a rare Japanese antique wood black low table made in the late Edo to Meiji period. All materials are cedar wood. Cedar is a tree that has been commonly used for Japanese tools...
Cedar
Sold
H 7.21 in W 62.29 in D 17.17 in
Japanese antique wooden low table/1867/Late Edo period/Wabisabi table/Folk art
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a very old Japanese wooden table. The material is made of pine wood. The year of production is written on the back of the table. It is wr...
Pine
Sold
H 3.75 in W 35.04 in D 38.59 in
Japanese Antique Wooden Low Table/1846/Edo/Wall Hanging Abstract Painting
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
We have received very nice furniture. This is a Japanese antique wooden kneading board. It was probably used for kneading udon noodles and rice cakes, and because it has fine cuts, i...
Oak
Sold
H 9.45 in W 34.65 in D 11.23 in
Japanese Antique Wooden Low Table/1800-1900/Edo-Meiji Period/Simple Sofa Table
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a Japanese antique wooden low table made from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period. The material is cedar wood. It has a very simple design and is suitable for moder...
Cedar
Sold
H 9.61 in W 33.43 in D 11.03 in
Japanese Antique Wooden Low Table, 1800-1900, Edo-Meiji Period, Simple Sofa Table
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a Japanese antique wooden black low table made from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period. Made from pine wood. It has a very simple design and is suitable for mode...
Pine
Sold
H 9.85 in W 33.27 in D 13 in
Japanese Antique Wooden Low Table /1800-1912 'Edo-Meiji Period'/Wabi-Sabi Table
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This desk was made from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period. In old Japan, it was normal to sit on the floor to eat and study. This is mainly a desk for studying and doing office work. The greatest attraction of this product is its rustic beauty. It is made of cedar wood, has few decorations, and has straight legs. It can be said that it is a minimal low table...
Cedar