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
Lavishly-Filled German Wooden Grocery Dollhouse Store Toy 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A beautiful grocery shop room box, painted and stained wood with lithographed wall and floor papers, side stair case and upper gallery, some drawers on rear wall with metal handles a...
Porcelain, Fabric, Wood
$500 / item
H 18.7 in W 13.2 in D 3 in
Manly P. Hall's The Secret Teachings, Facsimile Book Set with Prints
By TASCHEN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The classic encyclopedia of the arcane in an expanded edition. Renowned philosopher and lecturer Manly P. Hall’s masterful encyclopedia of ancient symbols, hidden rituals, and arcan...
Foil
Early 18th Century Italian Carved and Dovetailed Walnut Alms Box
Located in San Francisco, CA
Early 18th century Italian carved and dovetailed walnut alms box, circa 1725 Large dovetails and old handwrought nails give this small scale box a heavy, rugged and strong build. A ...
Iron
$9,291Sale Price|20% Off
H 24 in W 32 in D 2 in
Still Life of Fruit - Dutch 17th century art Old Master still life oil painting
By Jan Davidsz. de Heem
Located in Hagley, England
This stunning Dutch 17th century Old Master still life oil painting is attributed to the circle of Jan Davidsz de Heem. Painted circa 1660 it is a magnificent vibrant painting of gra...
Oil
Spanish Sculpture of the 17th Century "Saint Antony and the Child Jesus"
Located in Madrid, ES
Spanish Sculpture of the 17th century "Saint Antony and the Child Jesus" Measures: H: 61cm, polychrome and gilded wood. Good condition.
Wood
$34,269
H 70.87 in W 73.23 in D 88.19 in
Bed Tester Spanish Baroque Carved Dark Green & Gilded Leather Superking 6ft180cm
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
Rare, Spanish Demi-Tester, Baroque Bed With Carved, Green Painted & Gilded Posts 181cm, 6ft High, Floral Painted Leather Headboard, sold with custom made box spring mattress base, ac...
Giltwood, Paint
$110,944 / set
H 64.18 in W 28.75 in D 0.79 in
Selection of eight restored 19th C Neo-Gothic Stained-Glass Windows
Located in Leuven , BE
The Color Experience: Stained-glass windows “Color is a power which directly influences the soul” (Wassili Kandinsky, Moskou 1866 – Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1944) “Color! What a deep a...
Art Glass, Stained Glass
$5,600
H 39.77 in W 30.4 in D 1.97 in
Mary Queen of Heaven - Early 17th Century Spanish Colonial oil on canvas
Located in Rio De Janeiro, BR
This exquisite early 18th-century Spanish Colonial oil painting, originating from Bolivia, portrays “Mary, Queen of Heaven.” With meticulous craftsmanship, it illustrates the Coronat...
Canvas
Rare Monumental Italian Carved Carrara Marble Model of a Cathedral
Located in Long Island City, NY, NY
A Rare and Monumental Italian Carved Carrara Marble Model of a Cathedral, Rome, 19th century, circa 1840. Possibly a representation of Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Floren...
Carrara Marble
$1,036Sale Price|20% Off
H 24.87 in W 11.13 in D 0.75 in
18th Century Italian Tabernacle Door Fragment
Located in San Angelo, TX
18th Century Italian Tabernacle Door Fragment. Unique piece that can go anywhere. Perfect for a sculpture on the wall in a hallway or niche.
Gold Leaf
$1,121Sale Price|20% Off
H 24.81 in W 21.26 in D 3.94 in
17th Century Spanish Baroque Agnus Dei Carved Wood Tabernacle Door
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Muy interesante puerta de sagrario de madera tallada y policromada del siglo xvii. Es de comienzos del barroco, hay la representación del agnus dei con el estandarte. Tiene unas fi...
Wood Panel
$3,970
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
$4,087
H 20.87 in W 11.03 in D 7.09 in
Late 19th Century Spanish Terracotta Fuencisla Virgin in its Own Wooden Box
Located in Marbella, ES
Late 19th century Spanish terracotta figure sculpture of Virgin Fuencisla of Segovia, in its own custom wooden box so that the image could be easily transported and shared among neig...
Terracotta
“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
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
Last Supper. Oil on panel. Castilian School, 16th century.
Located in Madrid, ES
Last Supper. Oil on panel. Castilian School, 16th century. It has faults. An oil on panel painting depicting a figurative image against a neutral background, with a checkered tile...
Other
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.