Is Buddha Chinese or Japanese?

The Buddha's origins are Chinese, but Buddhism has since made its way to Japan and, later, Korea.

Japanese Edo Buddha

Edo Period Carved Wood

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Cypress

Japanese antique wood carved Buddha/1800s/late Edo period/folk Buddha

$800

Edo Period Stone Buddha/1600’s/Japanese Antique Buddha Statue/Garden Ornament

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This stone Buddha sculpture, believed to date back to the early Edo period or earlier, depicts Jizo

Category

Antique Early 17th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Stone

Edo Period Stone Buddha/1600’s/Japanese Antique Buddha Statue/Garden Ornament

$1,439

Wooden Buddha statues from the Edo period in Japan/1800-1868/Late Edo period

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This wooden Buddhist statue was made in the late to late Edo period. It is thought to be a statue

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cypress

Wooden Buddha statues from the Edo period in Japan/1800-1868/Late Edo period

$900

Japanese Standing Gilt Buddha, Amida Nyorai, Edo Period, 18th century, Japan

Located in Austin, TX

Buddha, Edo Period, 18th century, Japan. The spectacular fully gold gilt figure of Amida Nyorai is

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Rock Crystal

Japanese Standing Gilt Buddha, Amida Nyorai, Edo Period, 18th century, Japan

$15,000

Japanese Bronze Edo Period Buddhist Temple Shrine Buddha Statue Amulet Sculpture

Located in Studio City, CA

A gorgeous Japanese bronze temple shrine Buddha. The small piece has a beautiful aged patina and a

Category

Antique Early 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Bronze

Japanese Bronze Edo Period Buddhist Temple Shrine Buddha Statue Amulet Sculpture

$595

Japanese antique wooden Buddha statue / Edo period / 1600 to 1800

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This wooden statue is a relic from Japan's Edo period, and within it lies a deep history that

Category

Antique 17th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cypress

Japanese antique wooden Buddha statue / Edo period / 1600 to 1800

$1,200

Japanese antique stone Buddha "Nyoirin Kannon" Edo period / 1750-1850

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a statue of Nyoirin Kannon (Nyoirin Kannon) created in Japan during the mid- to late Edo

Category

Antique Mid-18th Century Japanese Edo Statues

Materials

Stone

Japanese antique stone Buddha "Nyoirin Kannon" Edo period / 1750-1850

$2,200

Japanese antique stone Buddha "Kannon Bodhisattva" / Edo period/ Garden ornament

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

Japan's mid-Edo period. Although difficult to read, the characters "Tenmei" can be seen on the stone

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Japanese Edo Statues

Materials

Granite

Japanese antique stone Buddha "Kannon Bodhisattva" / Edo period/ Garden ornament

$1,000

Japanese Edo Period Kannon Stone Buddha/1700-1850/Garden Ornament

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

We are pleased to present a simple stone Buddha of Kannon Bosatsu, made in Japan during the Edo

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Garden Ornaments

Materials

Stone, Granite

Japanese Edo Period Kannon Stone Buddha/1700-1850/Garden Ornament

$800

Japanese Antique Edo Period Stone Buddha / 19th Century / Garden Ornament

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a small Jizo Bodhisattva statue believed to have been made in the late Edo period (19th

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Japanese Antique Edo Period Stone Buddha / 19th Century / Garden Ornament

$800

Japanese antique wooden Buddha statue/Acala/Late Edo period/19th century

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a statue of Fudō Myōō (Acala), believed to have been created in Japan during the late Edo

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Japanese antique wooden Buddha statue/Acala/Late Edo period/19th century

$1,200

Japanese Seated Edo Buddha Amida Nyorai Wood Carved Gilt-Lacquered Sculpture

Located in Studio City, CA

Buddha immediately following his enlightenment The Buddha sculpture comes with a wonderfully red

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Lacquer, Wood

Japanese Seated Edo Buddha Amida Nyorai Wood Carved Gilt-Lacquered Sculpture

$7,950

Japanese antique stone god/[Daikokuten]/Stone Buddhas from the Edo period

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

Do you know what Daikokuten is? This god in Japan is an old god who has existed since the end of

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Stone

Japanese antique stone god/[Daikokuten]/Stone Buddhas from the Edo period

$800

Japanese antique wall-hanging wooden Buddha statue/Edo period/1603-1868/Wabisabi

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a wooden Buddha statue made around the Edo period in Japan. Although it is a small Buddha

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cypress

Japanese antique wall-hanging wooden Buddha statue/Edo period/1603-1868/Wabisabi

$800

JAPAN Edo Period 1825 Seated Buddha Sculpture In Solid Gilded Carved Wood

Located in Miami, FL

A seated Buddha sculpture in gilt carved wood from the Edo Period. This is a superbly refined

Category

Antique 1820s Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Gold

JAPAN Edo Period 1825 Seated Buddha Sculpture In Solid Gilded Carved Wood

$2,450 Sale Price

30% Off

Carved Gilt Wood Seated Japanese Asian Edo Buddha Amida Nyorai Sculpture Statue

Located in Studio City, CA

A truly beautiful and supremely serene Japanese Amida Nyorai Buddha. A magnificent work

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood, Giltwood, Lacquer

Carved Gilt Wood Seated Japanese Asian Edo Buddha Amida Nyorai Sculpture Statue

$2,995

Small Edo period stone Buddha from Japan/Jizo Bodhisattva/1800s/Amulet

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a small stone statue believed to have been made in Japan during the Edo period. It was

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Small Edo period stone Buddha from Japan/Jizo Bodhisattva/1800s/Amulet

$800 / set

JAPAN Edo Period 1850 Amida Nyorai Buddha Sculpture In Gilt Carved Wood

Located in Miami, FL

. Created in Japan during the Edo period, back in the mid 19th C. The gilding has a very nice patina and the

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Gold, Bronze, Gold Leaf

JAPAN Edo Period 1850 Amida Nyorai Buddha Sculpture In Gilt Carved Wood

$6,965 Sale Price / set

30% Off

JAPAN 1800 Edo Period Seated Shakyamuni Buddha In Zushi Buddhist Altar Cabinet

Located in Miami, FL

Japanese wooden statue of Shakyamuni Buddha 釈迦如来坐像, from the Edo period (1600-1868). The enlightened

Category

Antique Early 1800s Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Gold, Berlin Iron

JAPAN 1800 Edo Period Seated Shakyamuni Buddha In Zushi Buddhist Altar Cabinet

$4,725 Sale Price / set

30% Off

Small wooden Buddha statue from the Edo period in Japan/17th to 19th century

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

We are pleased to present a small wood carving of a flanking Bodhisattva made around the Edo period

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Cypress

Small wooden Buddha statue from the Edo period in Japan/17th to 19th century

$700

Japanese Edo Period Carved Seated Fasting Buddha, 18th C./Early 19th C.

Located in New York, NY

Japanese Edo Period Carved Seated Fasting Buddha, 18th C./Early 19th C. DIMENSIONS Height: 9.5

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Japanese Japonisme Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Japanese Edo Period Carved Seated Fasting Buddha, 18th C./Early 19th C.

$5,800

A Pair of Japanese Edo Period Stone Female Buddha Sattva Sculptures, c. 1750

Located in New York, NY

A Pair of Japanese Mid Edo Period Carved Stone Sculptures of Female Buddha Sattva, ca. 1750

Category

Antique 1750s Japanese Japonisme Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

A Pair of Japanese Edo Period Stone Female Buddha Sattva Sculptures, c. 1750

$4,500

Antique Wooden Sculpture "Kobo Daishi" / Buddha Statues / Edo-Meiji Period

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is an old Japanese "Kobo Daishi" wooden figure. "Kobo Daishi" means "Kukai". "Kukai" was a

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cypress

Antique Wooden Sculpture "Kobo Daishi" / Buddha Statues / Edo-Meiji Period

$1,200

Antique Japanese Carved Village Buddha Enku Style

Located in Atlanta, GA

A carved wood buddha with lacquered surface in the style of Erku (1632–1695), a monk from Edo

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Antique Japanese Carved Village Buddha Enku Style

$1,600

Japan Large Stone Sculpture Double Buddha Jizo

Located in South Burlington, VT

Large work of garden art, 18th/19th century, 200 years old Japanese stone rectangular plaque

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Granite

Japan Large Stone Sculpture Double Buddha Jizo

$3,040 Sale Price

20% Off

Japanese Tall 100 Year Old Stone Buddha, Hands in Prayer

Located in South Burlington, VT

A very good hand carved stone Buddha/Jizo Guardian sculpture set upon its own carved base Good

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Stone

Japanese Tall 100 Year Old Stone Buddha, Hands in Prayer

$200 Sale Price / set

49% Off

Wooden Sword of Old Japanese Buddha / 1800-1900 / Wall-Mounted Object

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is an introduction to a slightly unusual item. This is a wooden sword possessed by the Buddha

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cedar

Wooden Sword of Old Japanese Buddha / 1800-1900 / Wall-Mounted Object

$800

Japanese Antique Buddha Statue Stand/1800-1900/Lacquered Gold Display Stand

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a wooden stand made from the Edo period to the Meiji period. Originally, it was a stand

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Lacquer

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Buddha Statue Stand/1800-1900/Lacquered Gold Display Stand

$700

Japanese Antique Gilt Wood Amitabha Buddha on Loctus Throne Statue

Located in Atlanta, GA

A Japanese carved wood Amitabha (Amida) Buddha statue with residual gold leafed surface circa 19th

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Japanese Antique Gilt Wood Amitabha Buddha on Loctus Throne Statue

$6,000

Japanese Giltwood Medicine Buddha, Yakushi Nyorai, Muromachi Period 16th Century

Located in Austin, TX

Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha, seated upon an elaborate carved openwork lotus pedestal, Japan, mid-16th

Category

Antique 16th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Rock Crystal

Japanese Giltwood Medicine Buddha, Yakushi Nyorai, Muromachi Period 16th Century

$22,000

Japanese antique stone Buddha /Kannon Bodhisattva / late 19th-early 20th century

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This stone statue of Nyoirin Kannon was created between the end of the Edo period and the Taisho

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Edo Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Japanese antique stone Buddha /Kannon Bodhisattva / late 19th-early 20th century

$2,200

Antique Japanese Buddhist Ink Color On Silk Painting Amida Triad Buddha

Located in Forney, TX

A beautiful framed antique Japanese School ink and color painting on silk, 19th century, finely

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Paintings and Screens

Materials

Metallic Thread

Antique Japanese Buddhist Ink Color On Silk Painting Amida Triad Buddha

$995

Buddha Standing on a Lotus, Edo Japan 18th Century

Located in Nice, Cote d Azur

Buddha standing on a lotus, golden wood , black lacquered wooden temple hinges decorated with

Category

Antique 18th Century and Earlier Japanese Edo Lacquer

Materials

Lacquer

Buddha Standing on a Lotus, Edo Japan 18th Century

$5,999

Early 19th Century, Hotei (Happy Buddha), Edo Period, Art of Japan

Located in Central Hong-Kong, HK

. Art of Japan Early 19th century, Edo period Iron Dimensions: Height 23 cm Width 27 cm.

Category

Antique Early 19th Century Japanese Edo Antiquities

Materials

Iron

Early 19th Century, Hotei (Happy Buddha), Edo Period, Art of Japan

$3,200

Hiroshige II, Ukiyo-e, Landscape, Japanese Woodblock Print, Temple, Buddha, Edo

By Utagawa Hiroshige II

Located in London, GB

, the Buddha of healing and medicine, which was carved around 1780. In this print, the mountain itself

Category

Mid-19th Century Edo Landscape Prints

Materials

Handmade Paper, Washi Paper, Pigment, Woodcut

Utagawa Hiroshige II
Hiroshige II, Ukiyo-e, Landscape, Japanese Woodblock Print, Temple, Buddha, Edo, 1859

$757

Important Amida Buddha - Kannon Bosatsu - Lacquered / Gilded Wood - Edo Period -

Located in CANNES, FR

"Important Amida Buddha - Kannon Bosatsu - Lacquered / Gilded Wood - Edo Period - Japan - XVIIIth

Category

Antique Mid-18th Century Japanese Japonisme Antiquities

Materials

Lacquer

Important Amida Buddha - Kannon Bosatsu - Lacquered / Gilded Wood - Edo Period -

$4,199

18th Century Japanese Giltwood Figure of Amida Buddha

Located in Paris, FR

The Amida Buddha seated in vajrasana on a lotus-shaped pedestal situated on an ornate platform

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Antiquities

Materials

Gold

18th Century Japanese Giltwood Figure of Amida Buddha

$29,998

Carved Gilded Wood Standing Amida Buddha

Located in Amsterdam, NL

Japan, Edo period (1615-1868), 18th century Measure: High 63 cm, long 26 cm. Carved Gilded Wood

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Antiquities

Materials

Wood

Carved Gilded Wood Standing Amida Buddha

$6,299

Small Japanese Wooden Buddha Statue / Abstract Buddha Statue / Edo Period

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a wooden Buddha statue made in the Edo period in Japan. This is Jizo Bodhisattva. Jizo is

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Cypress

Small Japanese Wooden Buddha Statue / Abstract Buddha Statue / Edo Period

$800

Japanese old small stone Buddha/Edo period/Tathagata(Nyorai) Buddha statue

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

It is thought to be a stone Buddha made around the Edo period in Japan. This is a sitting statue of

Category

Antique 17th Century Japanese Edo Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Granite

Japanese old small stone Buddha/Edo period/Tathagata(Nyorai) Buddha statue

$1,200

Japanese Antique Stone Buddha / Edo Period 1790 / Goddess Statue

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

can imitate. It is a stone Buddha statue made in the Edo period. It seems to have carved a child

Category

Antique 1790s Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Granite

Japanese Antique Stone Buddha / Edo Period 1790 / Goddess Statue

$1,500

Japanese Antique Stone Buddha 1700s / Jizo Bodhisattva / Edo Period

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

It is a stone Buddha statue of the Edo period (1700s) in Japan made of andesite. This is the Jizo

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Stone

Japanese Antique Stone Buddha 1700s / Jizo Bodhisattva / Edo Period

$1,000

Japanese Edo Period Lacquered and Giltwood Buddha Amida Nyorai

Located in Austin, TX

A fine small Japanese lacquered and giltwood figure of the Buddha Amida Nyorai, Edo period, early

Category

Antique Early 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Japanese Edo Period Lacquered and Giltwood Buddha Amida Nyorai

$1,050

Small antique Japanese stone Buddha "Jizo Bodhisattva" / Edo / Garden ornament

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a small Japanese stone Buddha. It is thought to have been made around the Edo period. It is

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Stone

Small antique Japanese stone Buddha "Jizo Bodhisattva" / Edo / Garden ornament

$800

Japanese antique stone Buddha/1763/Middle Edo period/Kannon Bodhisattva

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a stone Buddha made in 1763 during the middle of the Edo period in Japan. The deity of the

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Granite

Japanese antique stone Buddha/1763/Middle Edo period/Kannon Bodhisattva

$1,400

Japanese Antique Buddha / 1750-1850 / Edo Period / Garden Figurine

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a stone Buddha statue made in the latter half of the Edo period. Japan and China have made

Category

Antique Mid-18th Century Japanese Edo Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Granite

Japanese Antique Buddha / 1750-1850 / Edo Period / Garden Figurine

$900

Japanese Edo period wooden Buddha statue / [Benzaiten] / Wabi-sabi ornament

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a wooden Buddha statue made in the latter half of the Edo period in Japan. The material

Category

Antique Mid-18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cypress

Japanese Edo period wooden Buddha statue / [Benzaiten] / Wabi-sabi ornament

$1,200

Japanese Stone Buddha Statue Nyorai 1700-1800 Middle-Late Edo Period

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

can imitate. This is a stone Buddha from the middle to late Edo period. Tathagata, called Amida

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Granite

Japanese Stone Buddha Statue Nyorai 1700-1800 Middle-Late Edo Period

$1,120

Antique Gilded Wood Japanese Buddha Sculpture; Edo Period

Located in Astoria, NY

A large gilt wood sculpture of Buddha in traditional dhyana mudra pose of meditation. The figure

Category

Antique 18th Century and Earlier Japanese Religious Items

Materials

Giltwood

Antique Gilded Wood Japanese Buddha Sculpture; Edo Period

$26,000

Edo Period 19th Century Japanese Gilt Wood Standing Amida Buddha

Located in Palm Springs, CA

A lacquered and gilded 19th century Edo period Amida Buddha deity. Shown standing with hands in the

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures

Materials

Giltwood

Edo Period 19th Century Japanese Gilt Wood Standing Amida Buddha

$1,895

1750-1850 Edo Period Japanese Old Stone Buddha / Simple Jizo Bodhisattva

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

can imitate. It is an old Japanese stone Buddha. The Buddha in the shape of a monk is called Jizo

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Other

1750-1850 Edo Period Japanese Old Stone Buddha / Simple Jizo Bodhisattva

$1,600

Edo Period Japanese Old Wooden Buddha Statue Ebisu and Box Masu

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

We Japanese introduce unique items with unique aesthetics, purchasing routes, and ways that no one

Category

Antique Mid-18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cypress

Edo Period Japanese Old Wooden Buddha Statue Ebisu and Box Masu

$1,200

1800s-1900s Japanese Wooden Kamado God Sculpture Buddha Edo Period Wabisabi

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

1800s-1900s Japanese wooden Kamado god sculpture Buddha Edo period wabisabi. Size: W 300 D 170

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Edo Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Cedar

1800s-1900s Japanese Wooden Kamado God Sculpture Buddha Edo Period Wabisabi

$1,500

Japanese Antique Stone Statue / Two Gods / Edo Period / Buddha /Stone Figurine

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

It is a stone carving god made in the Edo period. One is "Ebisu" and the other is "Daikoku

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Other

Japanese Antique Stone Statue / Two Gods / Edo Period / Buddha /Stone Figurine

$1,000 / set

Small wooden Buddha statue painted with Japanese lacquer/"Senju Kannon"/Edo

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

This is a small Japanese wooden Buddha statue. The deity is called "Thousand-Armed Kannon

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

Small wooden Buddha statue painted with Japanese lacquer/"Senju Kannon"/Edo

$800

Edo Period Old Japanese Wood Carving Buddha/Jizo Bodhisattva, 18th-19th Century

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

can imitate. It is a wood carving Buddha of the Edo period in Japan. I think it was from the late

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Other

Edo Period Old Japanese Wood Carving Buddha/Jizo Bodhisattva, 18th-19th Century

$1,200

Japanese Antique Serene Stone Buddha Kanon Guan Yin, Edo Period Signed 19c

Located in South Burlington, VT

Japanese 19th century stone seated Buddha or kanon known as "Nyoi-rin-kanon" grants your wishes and removes

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Stone

Japanese Antique Serene Stone Buddha Kanon Guan Yin, Edo Period Signed 19c

$850

Asian Art and Furniture Under $1,000

Antique and Vintage Asian Art and Furniture

Edo Asian Art and Furniture

18th Century and Earlier Asian Art and Furniture

Asian Asian Art and Furniture

Asian Art and Furniture on Sale

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Japanese Edo Buddha For Sale on 1stDibs

At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal Japanese edo buddha for your home. Each Japanese edo buddha for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, stone and cypress. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer Japanese edo buddha, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. Each Japanese edo buddha bearing hallmarks is very popular. You’ll likely find more than one Japanese edo buddha that is appealing in its simplicity, but Utagawa Hiroshige II produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is a Japanese Edo Buddha?

Prices for a Japanese edo buddha can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $149 and can go as high as $28,012, while the average can fetch as much as $1,375.

A Close Look at Edo Furniture

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.

Questions About Japanese Edo Buddha

Is Buddha Chinese or Japanese?
2 Answers
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021
The Buddha's origins are Chinese, but Buddhism has since made its way to Japan and, later, Korea.
Lotus GalleryMarch 17, 2021
Gautama Buddha was an Indian prince born in modern day Nepal. The first images of the Buddha were created almost simultaneously in Mathura, India, and the Greco-Buddhist kingdom of Gandhara (modern day Pakistan and Afghanistan). From there, images fo the Buddha spread out along trade routes into East and Southeast Asia.