Edo Sculptures and Carvings
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.
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cypress
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Granite
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Granite
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Granite
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cypress
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Paper
19th Century Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Granite
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Sandstone
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cypress
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Paper
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
1940s Japanese Vintage Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Lacquer
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cypress
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Sandstone
Early 20th Century Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
1850s Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Textile, Wood, Lacquer, Paper
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 1800s Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
1820s Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Fabric, Wood
1840s Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Metallic Thread
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Fabric, Wood
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Porcelain
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cypress
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Giltwood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cedar
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Rock Crystal
1840s Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Giltwood, Lacquer
Early 17th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cedar
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cedar
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Paper
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cedar
1840s Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Boxwood
19th Century Japanese Antique Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Cedar
Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Wood