Renaissance Vitrines
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.
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Glass, Wood
1870s French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Walnut
1920s German Vintage Renaissance Vitrines
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Glass, Mirror, Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Glass, Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Multi-gemstone, Ormolu, Brass, Bronze
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Chestnut, Oak
Late 19th Century European Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Wood
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Oak, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Glass, Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Vitrines
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Renaissance Vitrines
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Mahogany
1920s German Vintage Renaissance Vitrines
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Iron
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Wood
1850s French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Blown Glass, Walnut
20th Century Italian Renaissance Vitrines
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swedish Renaissance Vitrines
Mahogany
Early 20th Century German Renaissance Vitrines
Walnut
20th Century Renaissance Vitrines
Glass, Oak
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Vitrines
Wrought Iron
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Vitrines
Walnut