$4,009
H 13 in W 14.57 in D 5.52 in
Spanish Alms Box / Wall Decoration with Carved Saints Detail, 18th Century
Located in Barcelona, ES
church collection offering donation money box as wall decoration. This alms box is made of pine wood
Wood, Pine
Gilt Bronze Catholic Church Poor Box
Located in Guaynabo, PR
A gilt bronze Catholic Church poor box built as a pentagon. Its ceiling is adorned with a budded
Bronze
$3,150Sale Price|74% Off
H 49.22 in W 33.86 in D 16.15 in
Grand Carved Wooden Niche – Italian Baroque, 18th Century
Located in PARIS, FR
A magnificent example of 18th-century Italian Baroque craftsmanship, this grand polychrome and gilded wooden niche embodies the opulence and theatricality of the period. At its cente...
Wood
$16,000Sale Price|50% Off
H 52 in W 9 in D 32 in
15th C Gothic Tabernacle 4 ft.+ Rare Architectural Religious Art, Museum Quality
Located in Vero Beach, FL
15th century period Gothic Tabernacle, extremely rare (Medieval) architectural religious art, museum quality ecclesiastical altar piece. This is an absolutely stunning circa 1450 or...
Wood, Paint
$6,603
H 22.05 in W 18.12 in D 2.76 in
18th Century Altar Modell, South Germany, with Original Painting, Wood
Located in Epfach, DE
18th century Altar Modell, South Germany, with original painting, wood A rare altar model with original painting, in the middle Jesus Christus and on the top God the father and two...
Wood
$19,950
H 45 in W 26.5 in D 26.5 in
Large Antique Italian Church Carved Gilt Polychrome Tabernacle Altar Niche
Located in Forney, TX
A magnificent large rare and most impressive Italian baldachin tabernacle altar niche / altarpiece. circa 1800 Exquisitely hand-crafted in Italy in the early 19th century, this extr...
Enamel
$61,318Sale Price|20% Off
H 104.34 in W 153.55 in D 19.69 in
Antique Pharmacy Cabinet, Walnut Bookcases and Glass Doors with Sign, '800 Italy
Located in Cuneo, Italy (CN)
Complete antique pharmacy cabinet, with 3 open bookcases on the sides, 1 bookcase with drawers and 2 original doors with glass and enameled mirror sign. Built in the mid-19th century...
Glass, Walnut
$10,612
H 42.92 in W 34.26 in D 19.69 in
17th Century Polychrome Wooden Niche with Angels and Pilasters
Located in Marbella, ES
17th century Polychrome wooden Niche with Angels and Pilasters.
Wood
Gothic Revival Carved Oak and KPM Porcelain Triptych
By KPM Porcelain
Located in London, GB
The triptych comprises a trio of porcelain plaques, depicting the patron saints of the German city of Cologne (Köln) by the renowned Berlin manufacturer KPM (Konigliche Porzellan-Man...
Porcelain, Oak
IMPORTANT PORTUGUESE ORATORY WITH CALVARY 18th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
IMPORTANT PORTUGUESE ORATORY WITH CALVARY 18th Century Portuguese, from the 18th century in carved Brazilian rosewood. Decoration with interrupted pediments, volutes, floral motifs...
Silver
$10,023
H 36.23 in W 16.54 in D 10.24 in
"OUR LADY OF GLORY WITH ORATORY" Brazilian sculpture of the 19th century
Located in Madrid, ES
OUR LADY OF GLORY WITH ORATORY Brazilian sculpture of the 19th century , in polychrome and gilded wood. Oratory in painted and gilded wood. Small defects. Dim.: (sculpture) 42 cm; (...
Wood
17thC faux marble altar
Located in Livorno, IT
Wooden altar of late 17thC richly decorated. Polychrome faux marble lacquer, embellished with carvings depicting putti with typical aesthetic characteristics of 17th-century Baroque....
Wood, Hardwood, Walnut
“Ressurrection”, Polychromed Wood, Spanish School, 16th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
The relief was probably a door of the Sagrario. The piece follows a customary decoration in the tabernacles of the Renaissance and the Baroque. Compare, for example, with the sevente...
Other
$4,009
H 18.12 in W 12.41 in D 5.52 in
Spanish Alms Box / Wall Decoration in Blue & Yellow Patina, 18th Century
Located in Barcelona, ES
Carved wood hand painted donation / offering ALM Box, Spain, 18th century. Polychromed carved wood church collection offering donation money box as wall decoration. Wall hanging coll...
Wood, Pine
$11,202 / set
H 17.72 in W 10.24 in D 8.27 in
Set of Three Spanish Church Alms Boxes Wall Decoration, 18th Century
Located in Barcelona, ES
Set of three carved wood hand painted donation / offering ALM Boxes, Spain, 18th century. Polychromed wooden Church Collection offering donation money boxes as wall decorations. Be...
Wood, Pine
The Middle Ages in Europe followed the end of the Roman Empire, and in this time of change, which preceded the Renaissance, furniture was simple and utilitarian, with most homes having only the necessities like chests and benches. Much of medieval furniture, which was often made in oak or walnut, was built for the elite, particularly the emerging merchant class who owned multiple homes.
Life for many in the medieval era was unstable, and furniture was designed to be functional and portable. Peasants worked the fields for affluent landowners and didn’t have access to literature in the way that nobles and people of the church did (women less so than men). The furniture in their modest dwellings was typically limited to cookware and a handful of stools. Foldable chairs, while uncommon in homes of the early Middle Ages and emblematic of wealth, like all other furnishings of the time, allowed for easy transportation of a household. Trestle tables with detachable legs and collapsible beds were designed to be simply moved from place to place.
Medieval blanket chests were among the most important furniture objects and could further serve as tables or even beds. Some ancient traditions were carried forward to build this sturdy furniture, such as turnery. Although the furniture was minimally designed, embellishments like carvings added elegance to the heavy wood pieces. These details sometimes reflected trends in religious art like rose windows.
By the later Middle Ages, storage pieces like chests of drawers were often adorned with high relief carvings, such as geometric and floral motifs. By the 14th and 15th centuries, design had developed to include more involved pieces like cupboards and desks, while benches frequently doubled as chests with hinged seats. Beds also changed in this era from basic boards to four-post designs with large drapes to keep the sleeper warm. These beds and other medieval bedroom furniture were significant status symbols, passed down through families and used as places to conduct business and receive visitors.
Surviving examples of medieval furniture are very rare, yet its distinctive aesthetics influenced later styles like William and Mary and Arts and Crafts.
Find a collection of medieval seating, garden elements, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.