Renaissance Decorative Objects
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 Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Silver
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Spelter
1850s Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Serpentine
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Porcelain
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ironstone
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ormolu
20th Century English Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass, Copper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Granite, Bronze, Ormolu
1620s Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Majolica
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
1990s Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Belgian Black Marble, Ormolu
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Crystal, Gold Leaf, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1690s European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Decorative Objects
Silver
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
2010s Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Crystal, Bronze, Gold Leaf
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Other
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Majolica
18th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Pottery, Majolica
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Boxwood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Gesso, Plaster, Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass