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.
$9,990Sale Price|33% Off
Set of Four 19th Century Japanese Lattice Wooden Panels
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of four 19th century stunning, intricate lattice panels from Japan. Wood with naturally worn patina; traces of crackled finish. Each panel measures 35.5 inches wide and placed to...
Wood
Japanese antique wooden blocks/1800-1920/paper charms/Buddhist art
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a wooden woodblock produced in Japan from the late Edo period to the Taisho period (about 1800s to 1920s). The material used is something like beech wood, and the wood is dec...
Beech
$320Sale Price|28% Off
Japanese Horse Festival Black Lacquer Medallion with Tassels and Bells, Edo
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Japanese horse festival black lacquer medallion with tassels with bells, Edo period. When horses participate in festivals they are adorned with horse trappings and other decoratio...
Leather, Wood
$1,184
H 23.5 in W 23.5 in D 2 in
Matte White Reclaimed Wood Collage, Set of 4 Tiles by Peter Glassford
Located in San Antonio, TX
A sculptural Matte White collage tiles part of the Brutal Nature collection by Peter Glassford, handcrafted from reclaimed wood fragments and assembled in...
Wood
Japanese Gilt Lacquer Tabako-Bon with River Turtles, Edo Period
Located in Chicago, IL
This box with many drawers is a Japanese tabako-bon, or 'tobacco tray,' used to store tobacco and smoking accessories. Believed to have evolved from the traditional accessories of Ja...
Brass
Japanese Samurai Abumi Stirrups Lacquer Edo, 18th Century
Located in Dallas, TX
Japanese Samurai Abumi Stirrups lacquer Edo late 18th century, early 19th century. Measures: 12 inch length, 10 inch height, 5.5 inch width. AVANTIQUES is dedicated to providing an...
Iron
Japanese Black Lacquer Jubako Box with Stork Motif
Located in Stamford, CT
A four-tier Japanese Meiji period black lacquer Jubako box with stork and fir tree decoration. Box in four sections with lid.
Lacquer
Pair of Edo Period Black and Gold Lacquer Samurai Helmet Boxes
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A pair of Edo period black and gold lacquer Samurai helmet boxes (Hakko Bako), each of ribbed cylindrical form with a lid, a black lacquer interior,...
Lacquer
Elegant Japanese Edo Period Rack
Located in New York, NY
This refined object dates to the first half of the 19th century, and was probably used for obi, kimono sashes, which were hung over it. The gold decorations on the black-lacquered g...
Lacquer
$6,794 / set
H 110.24 in W 51.19 in D 1.38 in
Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Double Doors, Set of 3
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
Rare set consisting of 3 identical French Art Nouveau double doors from around 1900. Unrestored condition. Solidly made of pine wood in frame construction with 3 panels each and p...
Pine
18th Century Carved and Painted Wooden Panel
Located in Atlanta, GA
Decorative 18th century carved wooden panel featuring beautifully executed hand-carved ornamentation within a painted framework. Originally part of a larger architectural interior, t...
Wood
$385,000
H 38 in W 36 in D 21 in
Japanese Lacquer and Cinnabar "Samurai" Cabinet, Inaba Family, Edo Period
Located in Troy, NY
Exceptionally large and rare lacquer cabinet. According to the heraldry, visible on the headgear in one of the panels, it was made for the Inaba family, a high ranking Daimyo family,...
Bronze
$3,504Sale Price|20% Off
H 19.5 in W 19.5 in D 10 in L 119.5 in
19th Century Antique Chinese Handcraft 5 Panels Wooden Screen / Room Divider
Located in Pomona, CA
Size: 115 1/2"H x 19 1/2"W x 2"D each All together: 97 in W Origin: Shan Xi, China Circa: 1850 Material: Elm wood Condition: Original finished, very good condition. hand made, hand ...
Elm
$1,000
H 2.09 in W 17.84 in D 18.12 in
A large square tray made of Japanese antique lacquer / Late Edo period/19th
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
These trays were made after the late Edo period in Japan (after 1800). This particular type of tray is known as "Negoro-bon." Negoro lacquerware is a specific style of Japanese lacqu...
Lacquer
Japanese Lacquer Smoking Box, Tabako Bon, Edo Period, 19th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A very fine Japanese maki-e lacquer decorated tabako bon, or smoking box, late Edo Period, mid-19th century, Japan. The elegant smoking box of black lacquer decorated with a wonderful gold lacquer takamaki-e design of a gnarled and elegantly twisted plum tree with branches in full bloom. A border of golden cranes in flight to the top. The smoking box, called a tabako bon, is comprised of an open section at the top with inset with two cylindrical metal canisters...
Lacquer
Sold
H 7.09 in W 16.3 in D 0.95 in
Japanese Antique Wooden Cloud Sculpture/Wall Hanging Decoration/1700-1860
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a cloud-shaped wooden sculpture made around the Edo period in Japan. It is an ornament attached to the central part of the roof of shrines and temples. It is likely that ...
Cypress
Sold
H 11.62 in W 34.57 in D 1.19 in
Japanese Temple and Shrine Antique Wood Carving / Cloud Design / Wabi-Sabi Art
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
We have a unique Japanese aesthetic sense. And only we can introduce unique items through our purchasing channels in Japan and the experience we have gained so far, in such a way th...
Wood
Japanese Jizai Kagi Fish Carving, C. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This lively wooden fish dates to the mid-19th century and was originally the lever mechanism on a traditional Japanese hearth hook, called a jizai kagi. Hun...
Iron
Sold
H 7.41 in W 4.73 in D 2.17 in
Japanese Edo Period Demon Antique Mask / Traditional Performing Arts / Kyogen
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a wooden "oni" mask made from the Edo period to the Meiji period in Japan. "Oni" refers to a demon in the West. I think that everyone overseas has heard of "Demon Slayer...
Cypress
19th Century Small Japanese Bronze Gong
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 10" bronze hand forged Japanese gong is a diminutive size. Can be hung on the wall as a Minimalist sculpture and also used as a gong. It is a simple...
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Temple Bell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Small-scale, stark and unadorned bronze 19th century temple bell. Very heavy and thick bronze. In very good condition. Nice patina. Hung on rope. Comes with wooden striker.
Bronze