| As soon as you start looking into purchasing | | | | western influence this began to creep into the |
| furniture, you are going to be confronted with a | | | | designs. The basic English chest of drawers that |
| lot of different categories. In this article, we take | | | | was little known in Japan became a popular piece |
| a look at Edo furnishings. | | | | and a favorite of the Edo craftsmen. |
| A Guide to Edo Furnishings | | | | After World War II, it was the Western World |
| Edo furnishings gets their name from a period of | | | | that discovered Edo furnishings. It was noticed |
| classical Japanese culture that flourished in the | | | | first by servicemen in the Occupation Forces, |
| area of Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan | | | | who often brought pieces back home with them. |
| between 1500 and 1780 AD. Kyoto was a | | | | In the industrial rebuilding of Japan following the |
| beautiful city with cherry tree lined avenues, and | | | | war many of the original craftsman, who had |
| a highly developed appreciation of the arts. The | | | | been producing the classical furniture pieces one at |
| area surrounding Kyoto was heavily wooded, and | | | | a time in their little shops, were replaced by |
| carpentry was a highly respected craft. | | | | modern factories. The beauty and the elegance |
| Thousands of carpenters from the area were | | | | of the look was retained in most cases, and the |
| used to build the wooden castles and palaces of | | | | secrets of the craft were transferred to the new |
| the country's rulers, and they also made furniture | | | | designers. |
| that was typical of the art of the area and time. | | | | In the West, Edo furnishings are often used as a |
| It was characterized by understatement, | | | | room theme. Bedrooms are especially popular. |
| simplicity, and restrained elegance. It was very | | | | The Bedroom was always considered the most |
| much influenced by Zen and the harmony of | | | | important room in Japanese culture, and still plays |
| nature. Much of the pieces were crafted from | | | | a more important role in modern Japanese home |
| fine mahogany and beech. The beech tree made | | | | design than is usual in the West. The result is that |
| up the majority of the workable wood in the | | | | Edo beds and bedroom furniture represent some |
| area, and was used frequently. | | | | of the most popular and finely crafted examples |
| After the isolated culture of Japan came into | | | | of the Edo theme. It has been found that Edo |
| contact with Western Culture, some of the | | | | pieces do not necessarily have to constitute the |
| western ideas began to find their way into the | | | | entire theme of a room, but rather they blend |
| Edo furniture pieces. It was a remarkable melding | | | | nicely with other types of furniture. |
| of the two cultures. The older pieces tended to | | | | Stephan Teak is with - information on furniture |
| have little curvature in their design, but due to the | | | | styles. |