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.
1860s-90s Wabi-Sabi Japanese thick black sliding lattice door, exterior door
Located in 常陸大宮市, JP
New finds from the old-established family house in Ibaraki pref, Kanto area, Japan. Had been kept with care at the 2nd floor to avoid the humidity , even it was used as the exterior ...
Wood
XXL Late Edo Period Japanese Cedar “Kura” Door/Wall Hanging Wabi Sabi
Located in London, GB
A huge early 19th C. Japanese Kura door in cedar. Beautifully patinated bleached-out wood with hand forged wrought iron plaque/lock. Can either be used as ...
Iron
Huge Wabi Sabi Early 19th Japanese Charred Cedar Door Wall Art
Located in London, GB
A huge early 19th century Edo period Japanese door in charred cedar. Sliding panel in place to see who is knocking.. Exquisite Japanese joinery. ...
Cedar
Late 19th Century French Pine Doors, Set of 2
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
A pair of French doors from around 1900, solid pine frame construction with 3 panels each. Dimensions: 238 cm high, 75.5 cm wide, 4.5 cm deep Also very suitable for installation as...
Pine
$1,970
H 72.05 in W 43.9 in D 1.58 in
1910s-30s Japanese antique Itado, wabi sabi wide wooden sliding door
Located in 常陸大宮市, JP
Japanese antique Itado, thick wooden sliding door made of Sugi Cedar, for both interior & exterior use. Manufactured in circa 1910s -1930s (Taisho to early Showa period), estimate from the style & conditions. Warm dark paint remains on the surface comes from traditional finish with persimmon tannin & burnt pine ink. Random color tones and deep grains by age, only comes from a quality redwood of Sugi Cedar. Antique iron ring...
Wood, Cedar
$6,200 / set
H 94.69 in W 38.39 in D 3.15 in
Antique Japanese tin clad tall & thick huge sliding doors, wabi sabi primitive
Located in 常陸大宮市, JP
A pair of tall, thick and huge antique wooden sliding doors covered with tin-coated iron sheet panels. These types of doors were used at the gate / entrance of western-influenced la...
Metal, Tin, Iron
$2,800
H 73.23 in W 48.9 in D 1.97 in
Japanese Antique large iron plated Kurado, wabi sabi Storehouse door 1870s-1900s
Located in 常陸大宮市, JP
A Japanese antique Kurado, a large, thick iron-plated wooden door for the entrance of Kura (a traditional storehouse), made of solid Keyaki Zelkova. It was manufactured in the 1870s–1900s (Meiji period) based on its style and condition. The front panel is fully covered with iron sheets that have been nailed down, and a warm patina has developed on the black rust. The surface is partly rough with red rust. This piece's distinctive feature is its large door lock plate, which is not commonly found on traditional Kurado pieces. This lock plate shares similarities with the decorative lock plates attached to Tansu furniture...
Iron
Japanese Antique Door, Abstract Art Wabi Sabi, 1860s-1900s
Located in Katori-Shi, 12
Very old Japanese sliding door. The simple design conveys the charm of the material. You can feel the world of wabi and sabi. Recommended as a wall painting. It was made in the Mei...
Wood
Antique Irish Pine Scrubbed Exterior Door
Located in Highwood, IL
Antique Irish pine exterior door that I bought from a wonderful Irish pine dealer in the town of Derby, England, over 20 years ago. I completely forgot that I had stashed them away. ...
Pine
$1,650
H 67.13 in W 33.27 in D 1.78 in
1870s-1920s Japanese antique Yoshino cedar garden exterior door rustic wabi sabi
Located in 常陸大宮市, JP
New finds from the lumber dearer's house, near Yoshino, Nara pref., Japan. This door - not sliding door, was made for exterior door or the garden furniture circa 1870s-1920s, Meiji to Taisho period. Made of well-aged Yoshino Cedar...
Wood, Cedar
$1,800
H 70.48 in W 42.52 in D 2.17 in
Japanese Antique Sliding Door with Galvanized Steel 1860s-1900s / Wabi Sabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an old Japanese sliding door with galvanized metal cladding, crafted during the Meiji period (1860s–1900s). A rare surviving example, this piece showcases the ingenuity and a...
Steel
$2,800
H 75.6 in W 47.84 in D 2.37 in
Japanese Antique Iron Plate Door 1860s-1900s / Low Table Sofa Table Wabi Sabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an iron plate sliding door made in Japan. It is a rare door made in the Meiji period (1860s-1900s), and the craftsmanship of the time still lives on today. The structure is m...
Iron
Pair of Early 19th Century French Provincial Wardrobe Doors
Located in Mckinney, TX
Dating to the early 19th century, this pair of French provincial wardrobe doors offers timeless architectural beauty with their dry-scraped surface revealing soft layers of cream, sa...
Oak, Paint
$800
H 29.14 in W 25.99 in D 2.17 in
Japanese Antique Wooden Board , Wall Decoration Abstract Art , Wabi-Sabi
Located in Katori-Shi, 12
This wooden board was made in the Taisho era. It was used as a "mochi board." A "mochi board" is a board from the Meiji era that was used as a workbench for kneading flour, and is m...
Wood
$2,500
H 76.58 in W 58.67 in D 2.17 in
Japanese Antique Large Iron-Clad Door 1860s-1920s / Sliding Door Wabisabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is a large antique iron-clad sliding door from Japan. Although it has a strong presence, its design is extremely quiet and stripped of decoration, allowing the beauty of the mat...
Brass, Iron
Sold
H 73.23 in W 41.34 in D 2.56 in
Japanese Antique Bamboo Door / Wall Decoration / 1868-1912s / Wabi-Sabi
Located in Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate-gun, Iwate Prefecture
This is a wall decoration using an old Japanese door. It is thought to date from the Edo to Meiji period. Originally it was a very heavy door with earth and plaster on the surface,...
Iron
Sold
H 77.56 in W 37.01 in D 1.58 in
Antique Japanese tall & thick Urushi wooden sliding doors, wabi sabi primitive
Located in 常陸大宮市, JP
New finds from the main hall of an Buddhist temple in Ibaraki pref., Japan *** We're eco-friendly, organic-oriented vintage wood furniture & fitting seller. Avoiding the harsh che...
Wood
Sold
H 69.61 in W 33.86 in D 1.26 in
1860s-90s wabi sabi Japanese thick black sliding lattice door w/ panel
Located in 常陸大宮市, JP
New finds from the old-established family house in Ibaraki pref, Kanto area, Japan. Had been kept with care at the 2nd floor to avoid the humidity , even it was used as the exterior ...
Wood
Japanese Antique Door 1800s-1860s / Wall Decoration Wabi Sabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
It is a very old, Japanese iron-plated door. This door is from the Edo period (1800s-1860s). It has a cedar frame and is covered with iron plates. Rust has progressed over the years...
Iron
Japanese Antique Door 1800s-1860s/Architecture Wabi-Sabi Gates
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a very old Japanese door. It is covered with iron plates. This door is from the Edo period (1800s-1860s). It is a very rare item. The rusty texture of the iron plate is beau...
Steel
Sold
H 70.48 in W 51.78 in D 2.76 in
Japanese Antique Huge Door 'Abstract Art' 1800s-1900s/Architecture Wabi-Sabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This was a very old Japanese warehouse door. This door is from the Edo period. (1800s to 1900s). The door was made of plaster, but the plaster has peel...
Cedar
Sold
H 2.37 in W 48.04 in L 2.37 in
Japanese Antique Huge Door 1800s-1860s/Architecture Wabi-Sabi Gates
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a very old Japanese door. It is covered with steel plates. This door is from the Edo period (1800s-1860s). Very rare item. The rusty texture of the iron plate is cool a...
Steel
Sold
H 75.01 in W 53.94 in D 2.56 in
Japanese Antique Huge Door 'Abstract Art' 1800s-1900s/Architecture Wabi-Sabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This was a door of a very old Japanese warehouse. This door is from the Edo period. (1800s to 1900s). Very rare. The door was made of plaster, but the plaster is peeling off. T...
Bamboo, Cedar
Sold
H 2.17 in W 53.15 in L 2.17 in
Japanese Antique huge Door 'Abstract Art' 1800s-1900s/Architecture Wabisabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This was the door of a very old Japanese warehouse (kura). This door is from the Edo period. (1800s-1900s). Very rare. The door was made of plaster, but the plaster has peeled o...
Bamboo, Cedar
Sold
H 70.67 in W 44.3 in D 1.97 in
Japanese Old Wooden Door 1800s-1900s/Antique Architecture Decor Wabisabi Art
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
It is an old Japanese wooden door. It is an item from the Edo period to the Meiji period. (1800s-1900s) The material is chestnut. It was used as a door for a Japanese warehouse ...
Chestnut, Cedar
Sold
H 69.89 in W 35.83 in L 69.89 in
Japanese Old Wooden Door 1800s-1900s/Antique Architecture Decor Wabisabi Art
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
It is an old Japanese door. It is an item from the Edo period to the Meiji period. (1800s-1900s) The material is cedar. It was used as a door for a Jap...
Cedar
Sold
H 55.12 in W 34.26 in L 55.12 in
Japanese Old Door 1750s-1860s/Antique Architecture Abstract Art Wabisabi Object
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
It is an old unfinished door in Japan. It is the state before plaster is applied. This item is from the late Edo period. (1750s-1860s) It is very rare that it remains in this st...
Wood