What is the difference between wood carving and sculpture?

The difference between carving and sculpture is that carving is a carved object, whereas sculpture is the art of shaping figures or designs — because sculpture can involve adding material (i.e., working with plaster, creating a mold to be cast in bronze), it is considered “additive” versus the “subtractive” act of carving.

Meiji Wood Sculpture

19th Century Japanese Wood Carving

Hand Carved Sculptures Japan

Meiji Okimono

Wabi Sabi Sculpture

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Netsuke in persimon wood in the form of a sparrow

$2,992

Great Wood Carving Lion Figurine / 1868-1920 / Rare Item

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

cool. Also, the sculpture on the tail is wonderful. It is thought that it was carved on wood such

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Great Wood Carving Lion Figurine / 1868-1920 / Rare Item

$1,200

Japanese Meiji Period Kyogen Comic Theater Wooden Mask of a Black Man, 1910

Located in New York, NY

Japanese Meiji Period Kyogen Comic Theater Wooden Mask of a Black Man Circa 1910

Category

Vintage 1910s Japonisme Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Japanese Meiji Period Kyogen Comic Theater Wooden Mask of a Black Man, 1910

$3,200

Japanese Antique Pair of Wood Rice Measure Vessels

Located in South Burlington, VT

, newspapers, wood kindling, treasures storage and more. How would you use them? About Japan's wooden rice

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Metal

Japanese Antique Pair of Wood Rice Measure Vessels

$316 Sale Price / set

36% Off

Netsuke of an Oni, a Demon in Japanese Folklore, Wood, Early 20th Century

Located in Point Richmond, CA

A Meiji period netsuke depicting a formidable figure of an oni (demon) with a golden face and red

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Boxwood

Netsuke of an Oni, a Demon in Japanese Folklore, Wood, Early 20th Century

$350

Hand carved Japanese Jizai Kagi hearth hook, c. 1868–1912

Located in Kenilworth, IL

Japanese hand carved Jizai Kagi hearth hook in keyaki wood (Japanese Zelkova). The hook is

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Mounted Objects

Materials

Wood

Hand carved Japanese Jizai Kagi hearth hook, c. 1868–1912

$2,500

Two Opposing Ebonized Elephant Figures With Stands

Located in Bridgeport, CT

A Pair of Ebonized hardwood Elephants in stylized form. Likely Japanese, the Pair stand with heads turned and striding forward with one front leg extended. Mounted on intricately car...

Category

20th Century Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Glass, Plastic

Two Opposing Ebonized Elephant Figures With Stands

$695 / set

Japanese Tachibina (Imperial couple) doll set.

Located in Point Richmond, CA

a special wood display kimono tray with painted silk lining of a blossoming cherry tree. Included is

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Textile, Wood

Japanese Tachibina (Imperial couple) doll set.

$4,000

Japanese Antique Zen Rosewood Mala Prayer Bead String 800 Beads With Alms Bowl

Located in South Burlington, VT

consisting of over 800 handcrafted wooden hard wood beads with a large central largest diameter "Guru bead

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Zen Rosewood Mala Prayer Bead String 800 Beads With Alms Bowl

$360 Sale Price / set

58% Off

Group of Three Antique Japanese Hand Carved Monkey Figures

Located in Bridgeport, CT

A group of three early 20th Century well crafted wood Monkey figures in the classic poses of See

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Wood

Group of Three Antique Japanese Hand Carved Monkey Figures

$495

Japanese Leather Tobacco Pouch and Netsuke, c. 1900

Located in Chicago, IL

Created in the late 19th century during Japan's Meiji period, this petite leather tobacco pouch is

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Mounted Objects

Materials

Brass, Steel

Japanese Leather Tobacco Pouch and Netsuke, c. 1900

$780

Jizai Koi and Water Motif, Japan, Miji Period

Located in Point Richmond, CA

This jizai is an excellent example of a well-balanced and pleasingly carved sculpture of koi

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Jizai Koi and Water Motif, Japan, Miji Period

$1,975

Japanese Rare 19th Century Antique Bronze Fire Bell - Unique Family Heirloom

Located in South Burlington, VT

flammable materials like wood and paper, made fire a constant threat, requiring efficient early warning

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Bronze

Japanese Rare 19th Century Antique Bronze Fire Bell - Unique Family Heirloom

$2,100 / set

Old or Antique Japanese Wooden Figurine of a Buddhist Monk

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A Japanese wooden figurine of a Buddhist monk. In the form of a seated Buddhist monk. He holds a scroll in his left hand, and a mala/juzu (rosary) in his right hand. Part of the m...

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Old or Antique Japanese Wooden Figurine of a Buddhist Monk

$1,250

Japanese Antique Wooden Object/Craftsman s Workbench/Penis-Shaped Figurine

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

Introduce interesting items. This was once used as a workbench in Japan. It's shaped like a penis, but one side of the tip has a mark that looks like it was hit and is slightly scr...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Wooden Object/Craftsman s Workbench/Penis-Shaped Figurine

$800

Early to Mid-20th Century Rosewood Biwa Plectrum, Japan

Located in Point Richmond, CA

Rosewood Plectrum for Biwa, Japan A beautiful rosewood plectrum used in plucking the strings of a chikuzen-biwa, which is a 4-5 string fretted lute used traditionally for narrativ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Meiji Wall-mounted Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Early to Mid-20th Century Rosewood Biwa Plectrum, Japan

$500

Japanese Antique Pair Buddhist Monju Fugen Bosatsu Nyorai Temple Shrine Buddhas

Located in Studio City, CA

Truly stunning pair of hand-carved wood Japanese buddha statues / sculptures that sit serenely atop

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood, Giltwood, Lacquer, Paint

Japanese Antique Pair Buddhist Monju Fugen Bosatsu Nyorai Temple Shrine Buddhas

$7,995 / set

Japanese Bronze Pheasant Okimono Genryusai Seiya

Located in Newark, England

sculpture. Meiji Period was an era of Japanese history that spanned from 1868 to 1912. It was the first

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Bronze

Japanese Bronze Pheasant Okimono Genryusai Seiya

$25,258

Japanese Antique Wooden Board, "Abstract Sculptures", Wabi-Sabi, Mingei

Located in Katori-Shi, 12

This wooden antique board is from the Meiji period. It is made of lauan wood. Years of use and

Category

Early 20th Century Meiji Antiquities

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Wooden Board, "Abstract Sculptures", Wabi-Sabi, Mingei

$600

Japanese Antique Wooden Board, "Abstract Sculptures", Wabi-Sabi, Mingei

Located in Katori-Shi, 12

This is a wooden antique board from the Meiji era. It is made of Japanese cedar wood. It has a

Category

Early 20th Century Meiji Antiquities

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Wooden Board, "Abstract Sculptures", Wabi-Sabi, Mingei

$1,000

Japanese Antique Wooden Board, "Abstract Sculptures", Wabi-Sabi, Mingei

Located in Katori-Shi, 12

This is a wooden antique board from the Meiji era. It is made of Japanese cedar wood. It has a

Category

Early 20th Century Meiji Antiquities

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Wooden Board, "Abstract Sculptures", Wabi-Sabi, Mingei

$1,000

Japanese Antique Tree Root Stand 1860s-1900s / Pedistal / Side Table / Sculpture

Located in Buffalo, NY

(1860s-1900s). Art / Sculpture You can feel the strength of natural wood that you cannot feel with

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Pedestals

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Tree Root Stand 1860s-1900s / Pedistal / Side Table / Sculpture

$1,880

Meiji Japanese Bronze Elephant Sculpture

Located in Seattle, WA

Finely detailed Japanese bronze sculpture of elephant with upturned trunk attacked by tigers

Category

Antique 19th Century Asian Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Meiji Japanese Bronze Elephant Sculpture

$7,200

19th Century Japanese Bronze Lion Meiji Period on Wood Base Signed

Located in Hampstead, QC

and impressive bronze sculpture of a roaring lion was made during the Meiji Period in Japan (1868-1921

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Japanese Bronze Lion Meiji Period on Wood Base Signed

$4,500

Large Antique Japanese Bronze Eagle Root Wood Base Meiji Period Signed Gyoko 36"

By Gyoko

Located in London, GB

is finely carved with rich brown patination, perched on a root wood base signed in a rectangular

Category

Antique 1890s Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Bronze

Large Antique Japanese Bronze Eagle Root Wood Base Meiji Period Signed Gyoko 36"

$24,023

A Japanese Meiji period carved ivory crane.

Located in New York, NY

A Japanese Meiji period naturalistically carved ivory crane, on a burled wood base. Signed Kofu

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Sculptures

Materials

Ivory, Wood

A Japanese Meiji period carved ivory crane.

$60,000

Late 19th Century Large Japanese Meiji Bronze of Tigers Attacking an Elephant

Located in Salt Lake City, UT

A Japanese wood and bronze elephant and tiger sculpture from the late Meiji period (1868-1912), the

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Late 19th Century Large Japanese Meiji Bronze of Tigers Attacking an Elephant

$5,250

Japanese Mitsuore Ningyo of a Girl, a Jointed Costume Doll, Meiji Period

Located in New York, NY

Japanese Mitsuore ningyo of a girl, a jointed costume doll crafted of wood and covered in multiple

Category

Antique 1870s Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Japanese Mitsuore Ningyo of a Girl, a Jointed Costume Doll, Meiji Period

$3,200

Japanese Momotarō Folktale Bronze Monkey Sculpture on Base, 1960s

Located in San Francisco, CA

A delightful 1960s Meiji period-style Japanese cast bronze monkey figure on lacquered wood base

Category

Vintage 1960s Japanese Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Japanese Momotarō Folktale Bronze Monkey Sculpture on Base, 1960s

$1,536

Sensational Japanese Wood Lacquer Octopus Group - Iki Ningyo

Located in Christchurch, GB

As part of our Japanese works of art collection we are delighted to offer this quite dramatic Meiji

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

Sensational Japanese Wood Lacquer Octopus Group - Iki Ningyo

$176,675

Japanese Ranma Wood Carving Featuring "Birds in Flight" "Long Blades of Grass"

Located in Santa Cruz, CA

beauty of this work was preserved by someone. To give depth perception, wood blocks were added for

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cedar

Japanese Ranma Wood Carving Featuring "Birds in Flight" "Long Blades of Grass"

$2,137

Japanese Ranma Wood Carving Featuring "Birds in Flight" "Long Blades of Grass"

Located in Santa Cruz, CA

beauty of this work was preserved by someone. To give depth perception, wood blocks were added for

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cedar

Japanese Ranma Wood Carving Featuring "Birds in Flight" "Long Blades of Grass"

$2,137

Japanese Ranma Wood Carving Featuring "Birds in Flight" "Long Blades of Grass"

Located in Santa Cruz, CA

beauty of this work was preserved by someone. To give depth perception, wood blocks were added for

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cedar

Japanese Ranma Wood Carving Featuring "Birds in Flight" "Long Blades of Grass"

$2,137

Very Nice, Elegant Patinated Bronze of the Japanese Geisha, circa 1890

Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland

Taiko, would not be developed until the mid-20th century, circa 1890, Meiji period.

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Very Nice, Elegant Patinated Bronze of the Japanese Geisha, circa 1890

$5,745 / set

Japanese Carved and Painted Wooden Monkey

Located in New York, NY

Seated, holding a honeycomb with a wasp sitting on it, this intricately carved monkey is inlaid with glass eyes. Signed.

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Japanese Carved and Painted Wooden Monkey

$16,000

20th Century Wooden Statue

Located in TORINO, IT

A 20th century wooden statue.

Category

20th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

20th Century Wooden Statue

$2,154

Antique Japanese Gosho-ningyo

Located in New York, NY

above his head, the body carved of wood and covered in multiple layers of burnished gofun with painted

Category

Antique Early 1900s Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Antique Japanese Gosho-ningyo

$2,500

19Th Century Japanese Meiji Bronze Okimono Sculpture

Located in Long Island City, NY

An antique Japanese, Meiji period, patinated bronze okimono sculpture. The sculpture depicts a

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

19Th Century Japanese Meiji Bronze Okimono Sculpture

$4,000

Japanese Meiji Period Lacquered Wood Buddha with Mandorla

Located in Astoria, NY

Japanese Meiji period lacquered sculpted wood Buddha figure seated on an elaborately carved lotus

Category

Antique 18th Century Japanese Meiji Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Japanese Meiji Period Lacquered Wood Buddha with Mandorla

$3,800

Signed Bronze Meiji Period Censor on Hard Wood Stand

Located in Lymington, Hampshire

An unusual signed bronze Meiji period censor on hard wood stand, circa 1900.

Category

20th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Signed Bronze Meiji Period Censor on Hard Wood Stand

$1,647

Japanese Meiji Period Bronze Elephant Sculpture on Burlwood Base

Located in Astoria, NY

A Japanese Meiji period bronze elephant sculpture on its original burl-wood base. Old repair to the

Category

Antique 1880s Japanese Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Japanese Meiji Period Bronze Elephant Sculpture on Burlwood Base

$8,500

Japanese Meiji Period Carved Wood Okimono Man with Rabbits

Located in Newark, England

The charming figure, carved from a single piece of wood is exceptionally carved showing the male

Category

Antique Early 1900s Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Japanese Meiji Period Carved Wood Okimono Man with Rabbits

$2,223

Meiji Period Keyaki Elm Wood Jizai Hearth Hook, Japan

Located in Point Richmond, CA

Offered by ZENA KRUZICK Meiji Period Keyaki wood (elm) Jizai hearth hook, Japan Jizai in this J

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Japanese Meiji Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Elm

Meiji Period Keyaki Elm Wood Jizai Hearth Hook, Japan

$3,300

Nô Theatre Dancers, 19th Century Meiji Period Japanese Okimono Sculpture

By Hozan

Located in PARIS, FR

Two superb Nô theatre dancers in carved wood and bone by the artist Hōzan 芳山, Japan late 19th

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bone, Wood

Nô Theatre Dancers, 19th Century Meiji Period Japanese Okimono Sculpture

$2,932

Tenjin-Sama, Wood, Japanese Shinto Deity of Learning and Wisdom, Meiji Period

Located in Point Richmond, CA

. Sitting on a wood stand. Meiji Period. Note: The dimensions listed are of the statue only; the stand

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Tenjin-Sama, Wood, Japanese Shinto Deity of Learning and Wisdom, Meiji Period

$2,750

Japanese Gilt Wood Fukukenjaku Kannon, Meiji Period or Earlier, Japan

Located in Austin, TX

An attractive and esoteric Japanese carved and gilt wood figure of Fukukenjaku Kannon, Amoghapasa

Category

Antique Early 1900s Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cypress

Japanese Gilt Wood Fukukenjaku Kannon, Meiji Period or Earlier, Japan

$3,800

19th Century Meiji Period Bronze Tiger

Located in Lymington, Hampshire

A stunning Meiji period bronze tiger stood upon root wood stand.

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Meiji Period Bronze Tiger

$3,809

Japanese Meiji Noh Lacquered Wood Mask of Okina The Happy Old Man by Ko-Ikiu

Located in Astoria, NY

Japanese Meiji period lacquered carved paloma wood Noh mask depicting Okina, the happy old man of

Category

Antique 1890s Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Japanese Meiji Noh Lacquered Wood Mask of Okina The Happy Old Man by Ko-Ikiu

$3,200

Old Japanese Hearth Tool/Fish-Shaped Wood Carving Figurine/Meiji Period/Wabisabi

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

a very simple sculpture. The wood is cedar, which turns black with soot, giving it a very rustic

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Cedar

Old Japanese Hearth Tool/Fish-Shaped Wood Carving Figurine/Meiji Period/Wabisabi

$500

Japanese Quarrelling Hawk Okimono Meiji Period

Located in Newark, England

Meiji period era. Notes Falconry (Takagari ??) was a Japanese sport of the noble class, and a symbol

Category

Antique Early 1900s Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Japanese Quarrelling Hawk Okimono Meiji Period

$6,692

Japanese Carved Netsuke Box Wood Sennin Buddha Meiji Period 1868-1912 Pill Box

Located in Dublin, Ireland

. Meiji Period (1868-1912). The main body which shows a second Carp resting on the shoulder, opens to

Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Hardwood

Japanese Carved Netsuke Box Wood Sennin Buddha Meiji Period 1868-1912 Pill Box

$580

Japanese Antique Wooden Netsuke Cow 1900s Meiji

Located in Paris, FR

This is an antique wooden netsuke made in Japan around Meiji period 1900s. The signature is written

Category

Antique Early 1900s Japanese Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Wooden Netsuke Cow 1900s Meiji

$622

Meiji Period Bronze of an Oni Holding a Parasol

Located in Lymington, Hampshire

gilt decorated wood stand. Meiji period.

Category

Antique 1890s Japanese Meiji Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Meiji Period Bronze of an Oni Holding a Parasol

$33,976

Antique Japanese Wooden Nestuke Sumo Wrestler 1900s Meiji Era

Located in Paris, FR

This is an antique netsuke made in Japan around meiji period 1900s. This netsuke was made by a

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Animal Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Antique Japanese Wooden Nestuke Sumo Wrestler 1900s Meiji Era

$478

Japanese Antique Wood Carving Cat 1860s-1920s /Figurine Animal Sculpture Object

Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba

Old Japanese wood carving cat. It seems to be from the Meiji era to the Taisho era. (1860s-1920s

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Wood Carving Cat 1860s-1920s /Figurine Animal Sculpture Object

$1,500

Iki Ningyo Living Doll Face, Meiji Period, Japan

Located in Point Richmond, CA

Iki Ningyo Face, Meiji Period, Japan gofun, paint, glass eyes, animal hair This small, hyper

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Iki Ningyo Living Doll Face, Meiji Period, Japan

$850

Iki Ningyo Living Doll Face, Meiji Period, Japan

Located in Point Richmond, CA

Iki Ningyo Face, Meiji Period, Japan gofun, paint, glass eyes, animal hair This small, hyper

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Iki Ningyo Living Doll Face, Meiji Period, Japan

$680

Asian Art and Furniture Under $1,000

Antique and Vintage Asian Art and Furniture

Meiji Asian Art and Furniture

19th Century Asian Art and Furniture

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Asian Art and Furniture on Sale

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Meiji Wood Sculpture For Sale on 1stDibs

At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal piece of meiji wood sculpture for your home. Frequently made of wood, metal and bronze, every item from our selection of meiji wood sculpture was constructed with great care. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect choice in our collection of meiji wood sculpture — we have versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. An object in our assortment of meiji wood sculpture, designed in the Folk Art style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. You’ll likely find more than one option in this array of meiji wood sculpture that is appealing in its simplicity, but Eisuke Miyao produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is a Meiji Wood Sculpture?

Prices for a piece of meiji wood sculpture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $95 and can go as high as $60,000, while the average can fetch as much as $1,450.

A Close Look at Meiji Furniture

From 1868 to 1912, Emperor Mutsuhito oversaw an era of transformation in Japan. Formerly a country of feudalism and isolation, Japan entered an age of modernization influenced by newly established trade and exchange with the West. The Meiji period, or period of “enlightened rule,” also saw the global impact of the East Asian country’s culture. Japanese Meiji furniture was exhibited at expositions from Paris to San Francisco and created for export.

Prior to the Meiji era, furniture was mostly made by commission for the ruling class; now there were new domestic and international markets. European styles like Japonisme appropriated Japanese design while craftsmen in places like Wales and England employed japanning, a varnishing technique that approximated the appearance of lacquer for the surfaces of furnishings.

Meiji furniture made for Japanese homes and buildings constructed in Western styles resulted in taller tables, chairs, cabinets with large drawers and other features. The government invested in areas such as transportation and communication, and because people could freely choose occupations after the restrictions of feudalism, industries of various types were energized by expressive new ideas during those years. Art schools were formed and, for the first time, design was an area of study in the country, leading to the evolution of professional design as a career by the 1890s.

The work of Japanese designers was transmitted widely through lavishly illustrated pattern books that included designs for screens and lacquerware for the home. While screens today may be of use as decorative accents or partitions to ensure privacy in one’s space, Japanese screens were adorned with paintings and were featured in performing arts such as concerts, tea ceremonies and more. The color illustrations that characterize Meiji woodblock prints, a genre of Japanese art that grew out of 17th-century developments in printing and book publishing, depicted the sweeping changes that the era brought to East Asia.

Although it was a time of societal and cultural shifts, a bolstered interest in art and design elevated Japanese craft traditions. From colorful porcelain table lamps with silk shades and hardwood tables decorated with dark lacquer to cabinets featuring iron hardware and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Meiji furniture showcased Japan’s artistic heritage to the world.

Find a collection of antique Japanese Meiji period case pieces and storage cabinets, decorative objects, wall decorations and more furniture on 1stDibs.

Questions About Meiji Wood Sculpture

What is the difference between wood carving and sculpture?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021
The difference between carving and sculpture is that carving is a carved object, whereas sculpture is the art of shaping figures or designs — because sculpture can involve adding material (i.e., working with plaster, creating a mold to be cast in bronze), it is considered “additive” versus the “subtractive” act of carving.