Crucifix Della Porta
Antique 17th Century Italian Renaissance Religious Items
Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Bronze
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Antique 19th Century French Gothic Revival Architectural Elements
Wood, Giltwood
Antique 19th Century European Gothic Revival Religious Items
Iron
Antique 19th Century Belgian Gothic Revival Architectural Elements
Art Glass, Stained Glass
20th Century French Floor Lamps
Crystal
Early 20th Century French Classical Greek Centerpieces
Bronze
Vintage 1950s English Renaissance Beds and Bed Frames
Oak
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Baroque Religious Items
Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Neoclassical Religious Items
Porcelain, Wood
1820s Old Masters Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Religious Items
Enamel, Bronze
Antique 17th Century Portuguese Baroque Religious Items
Wood
Antique 1880s Italian Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Antique Early 17th Century Italian Renaissance Religious Items
Silver
Antique 16th Century Spanish Renaissance Religious Items
Other
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Busts
Belgian Black Marble, Carrara Marble, Marble
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Antique 16th Century Italian Renaissance Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
A Close Look at 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.