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.
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
1940s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
1910s American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Boxwood
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Alabaster, Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1980s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sandstone
1890s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1920s German Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Paint
17th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1950s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1930s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Iron
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood