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.
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Walnut
Early 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Plate, Bronze
15th Century and Earlier Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Iron
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Late 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
15th Century and Earlier European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1870s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver, Other
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
1830s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1890s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1890s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Bronze
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Metal
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
Early 1600s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 1900s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
Late 19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper