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.
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Metal
1950s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Brocade, Walnut
Early 20th Century Russian Renaissance Furniture
Wool
Early 1600s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica, Paint
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Pine
1970s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Walnut
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Animal Skin, Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Glass, Giltwood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 17th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
15th Century and Earlier French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Enamel
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1860s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Art Glass
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany