Renaissance Furniture
Spanning an era of cultural rebirth in Europe that harkened back to antiquity, the Renaissance was a time of change in design. From the late 1400s to the early 1600s, Rome, Venice and Florence emerged as artistic centers through the expansion of global trade and a humanist belief in the arts being central to society. Antique Renaissance furniture was ornately carved from sturdy woods like walnut, its details standing out against the tapestries and stained glass adorning the walls.
Renaissance chests, which were frequently commissioned for marriages, were often decorated with gilding or painted elements. Those that were known as cassoni were crafted in shapes based on classical sarcophagi. As opposed to the medieval era, when furniture was pared down to the necessities, a wide range of Renaissance chairs, tables and cabinets were created for the home, and the designs regularly referenced ancient Rome.
Large torchères of the Renaissance era that were used as floor lamps were inspired by classical candelabras, while marble surfaces evoked frescoes. The inlaid boxes being imported from the Middle East informed the intarsia technique, which involved varying hues of wood in mosaic-like patterns, such as those by architect Giuliano da Maiano in the Florence Cathedral.
Tapestry-woven cushion covers accented the variety of Renaissance seating — from conversation to study chairs — while bookcases for secular use reflected the migration of culture and knowledge from the church into the home. The aesthetics of the Italian Renaissance later spread to France through the publishing of work by renowned designers, including Hugues Sambin and Jacques Androuet du Cerceau. Centuries later, the 19th-century Renaissance Revival would see a return to this influential style.
Find a collection of antique Renaissance case pieces, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Pine
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Persian Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1880s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Plaster, Pine
Mid-20th Century Russian Renaissance Furniture
Wool
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
Early 1900s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Late 20th Century Indian Renaissance Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Metal
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Cane, Oak
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ebony, Oak
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1970s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
1950s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Brocade, Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold
Early 20th Century Russian Renaissance Furniture
Wool
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica, Paint
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Art Glass, Mirror, Murano Glass
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Walnut
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper
Early 1600s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak