Classical Roman Sculptures
During Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D., Pompeii and Herculaneum in today’s Italy were preserved as they were on the day of their destruction. Particularly at Herculaneum, furnishings were carbonized beneath volcanic ash. This was pivotal to understanding how Classical Roman furniture was designed. Archaeological investigations and printed reproductions of discoveries would influence styles evoking this ancient civilization, from the Renaissance to neoclassicism.
While knowledge of Classical Roman furniture comes from rare surviving pieces, it is also derived from frescoes and sculptures portraying Roman life. Much of Roman art, architecture and design was informed by Greece — Roman architect, military engineer and writer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, whose timeless De architectura is taught in contemporary architecture classes and pays tribute to classical architecture, visited Greece while working under Julius Caesar and admired the country’s architectural developments. The Roman solium references the Greek thronos, a stately chair of honor with an upright form and footstool. As the Roman Empire spread across Europe and into North Africa and Western Asia, the expansion of trade for silver, silk, marble and wood allowed for more luxurious designs.
Classical Roman furniture was made from bronze, wood and stone — in particular, marble — with ornate touches like tortoiseshell veneers, bone and glass inlays and claw feet. Ornaments depicting lion heads and mythological figures were sculpted from silver, bronze and ivory. Compared to the decorative attention given to the mosaic floors and wall paintings, however, furniture for even a wealthy house was minimal. It focused on the necessities for guests arriving for both socializing and business and the rooms housing family, relatives and enslaved people.
The triclinium dining room had banquet couches, items so prized they were sometimes interred with the deceased. Tall bronze or terracotta candelabras held oil lamps for lighting. Carved marble tables reflected status, while the lararium home shrine demonstrated faith.
Find a collection of Classical Roman decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1860s Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Siena Marble, Carrara Marble, Marble, Bronze
1870s French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Alabaster
20th Century Spanish Classical Roman Sculptures
Plaster
1870s German Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Porcelain
1890s French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Terracotta
1880s French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Iron
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Fruitwood
Early 1900s German Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
1960s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Sculptures
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Carrara Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Classical Roman Sculptures
Sterling Silver
19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Stone, Marble, Carrara Marble
20th Century American Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Alabaster
19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century French Classical Roman Sculptures
Iron
1980s American Vintage Classical Roman Sculptures
Cast Stone
1920s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Sculptures
Carrara Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Ceramic, Plexiglass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Carrara Marble
15th Century and Earlier French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble, Iron
Mid-18th Century German Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Ceramic, Plexiglass
Early 1900s Belgian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Siena Marble, Bronze
20th Century Greek Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Stone
20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble
1960s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Sculptures
Plaster, Boxwood
1880s French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Bronze
Late 20th Century Unknown Classical Roman Sculptures
Composition
Early 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Carrara Marble
1960s American Vintage Classical Roman Sculptures
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Terracotta
20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble
Early 20th Century Danish Classical Roman Sculptures
Plaster
Early 19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Bronze
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble
2010s American Classical Roman Sculptures
Ceramic
1960s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Sculptures
Plaster
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Rock Crystal
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble
2010s Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Concrete, Metal
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Classical Roman Sculptures
Plaster
Mid-19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Resin
Early 19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Stone
Late 19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Alabaster