Renaissance Architectural Elements
RENAISSANCE STYLE
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.
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Style: Renaissance
16th Century Italian Pair of Antique Corinthian Capitals
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique Italian pair of Corinthian Capitals from the Renaissance period, hand carved in limestone. Minor fading, scratches due to age. Wear consistent with age and use. Circa 1500...
Category
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Limestone
Antique Wrought Iron Signage Bracket
Located in Sheffield, MA
The antique wrought iron bracket is decorated with curls and a spear-like tip. Holes on the side bar can be used to secure to the side of...
Category
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Wrought Iron
16th Century Painted Spanish Coffered Ceiling, Isabella Stewart Gardner
Located in Essex, MA
16th Century Spanish Renaissance Coffered Ceiling. Tempura on Pine is brilliant colors of azure, red, black and white. Moorish Rosettes and intert...
Category
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Pine
15th or 16th Century Marble Gargoyle Fountain Spout from Arezzo, Italy
Located in Dallas, TX
Although when most people hear the word “gargoyle”, they probably envision small, winged creatures with grotesque visages. However, the phrase has a deeper meaning, encompassing any carved head (animal or human) that function as waterspouts.
From the Early Renaissance (late 1400’s/early 1500’s), our gargoyle fountain spout features a human-like face with pointed ears, possibly representing a centaur or a satyr. The roughly rectangular block of marble was hand-carved in Arezzo, in the Tuscany region of Italy. All sides except the front of the cream-colored stone have a sawed finish, resulting in a rough texture. The back has been excavated, adding to the character of the gargoyle. A 1 ½” diameter hole has been cut all the way through, forming an open mouth of the gargoyle. The gaping mouth was often a symbol used to conjure images of devouring giants and used to remind people that they are susceptible to certain forces.
Our 15th/16th century marble...
Category
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Marble
18th Century Italian Frieze Painted Wall Panel #2
Located in Bradenton, FL
18th century Italian wall decorative panel frieze with stunning hand-carved gilded relief. The decorative candelabra gilt relief motif is very classical, hand-carved with alternating...
Category
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Wood
17th Century English Carved Oak Corbel “the Green Man”
Located in Vero Beach, FL
17th Century English carved oak corbel “The Green Man”.
Rare antique decorative architectural ornament of the enigmatic Green Man. Images and carvings ca...
Category
17th Century English Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Oak
Antique Renaissance Style Carved Sandstone Corbel or Keystone
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful stone carving of a kings face.
Probably English.
I have dated it at least, 19th century. It is most likely earlier than this. Difficult to be precise.
Free UK shipping
Category
Mid-19th Century English Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Sandstone
Renaissance Style Mantel from the 18th Century of French Limestone
Located in Made, NL
A magnificent antique French limestone fireplace in Renaissance style! This historic mantel (fireplace) dates from the 18th century and exudes a lot of allure due to its robustness a...
Category
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Limestone
Monumental Fireback with the Châtelet Coat of Arms
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This exceptional iron cast fireback of 750 kg, richly decorated, was made at the end of the Renaissance, around 1624. It bears in its center a shield wit...
Category
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Iron
17th Century Architectural Monumental Italian Corinthian Columns on Pedestals
Located in Dallas, TX
Sold as a PAIR.
Over three centuries in age and hailing from Italy, this exquisite pair of Corinthian columns has been handcrafted and conscientiously rendered as pure representation...
Category
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Walnut
16th Century French Fireplace Mantel
Located in Vosselaar, BE
A monumental 16th century sandstone Renaissance fireplace mantel. Finely sculpted with a moulded beam and colomn supports. Decorated with flower motives, guirlandes and cirkels.
Lov...
Category
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Sandstone
18th Century Italian Frieze Carved Painted Wall Panel #1
Located in Bradenton, FL
18th century Italian wall decorative panel frieze with stunning hand-carved gilded relief. The decorative gilt relief motif is very classical, hand-carved with alternating love knots...
Category
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Wood
Pair of French 17th Century Weathered Oak Renaissance Ornaments
Located in Buisson, FR
Beautiful weathered oak Renaissance ornaments that most likely once adorned a half timbered house in Normandy.
France, 17th century. Weathered, small losses
Measurement here below a...
Category
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Oak
Double Eagle Cartouche Plaque in Carved Limestone
Located in Dallas, TX
Reminiscent of a late 15th century coat of arms, this double eagle cartouche plaque has been hand-carved in limestone in Italy. A square top shield wi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Limestone
19th Century Tuscan Renaissance Fragment
Located in San Angelo, TX
This is a beautiful 19th century Tuscan Renaissance fragment. Perfect for placement above your mantle, stove, a bed, or use it to dress up a wall b...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Wood, Paint
Very Large 19th Century Carved Stone Renaissance Fireplace Mantel
Located in London, GB
A very rare, 19th century carved stone Renaissance fireplace. The bracketed jambs with crouching lions, ionic capitals, carved male and female masks and basket of fruit to plinths. T...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Stone
Antique French Zinc Architectural Building Element
Located in Sheffield, MA
Neoclassical style building element in the neoclassical taste. Antique French long segment of zinc metal architectural fragment that will make a unique wall decor...
Category
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Zinc
Wrought Iron Grille, 16th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
A carved wooden frame serves as a support for the wrought iron grille that has decorated balusters: all have a heart-shaped form in the centre, whi...
Category
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Wrought Iron
Frieze, Polychromed Pine Wood, 16th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Rectangular frieze in carved pine wood, gilded and polychrome decorated with figurative reliefs. An architectural piece with garland serves as the axis for the symmetrical compositio...
Category
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Pine
Italian Neo-Renaissance Walnut Fireplace Mantel, Attributed to Valentino Besarel
Located in Montreal, QC
This extraordinary mantel is superbly carved, firstly with a simple dentil cornice; above a front panel, carved in high-relief with birds, scrolling leaves and tendrils. The jambs ar...
Category
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Walnut
Antique Painted Cartouche
Located in Sheffield, MA
The antique architectural salvaged building element with cartouche design is molded cement and glazed and painted orange and green. The b...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Cement
Large 19th Century Italian Limestone Fireplace
Located in London, GB
A well carved Renaissance style fireplace in limestone, with a centre keystone to frieze, and deeply carved drops of ribbons and flowers to...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Limestone
Pair of Italian Renaissance Oak Pedestal Figures
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Italian Renaissance style (19th Cent) carved oak life size pilaster form pedestals of Greek man and woman (torso) on square base with floral carving
Category
19th Century Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Oak
Venetian 16th Century Wellhead
Located in Zedelgem, BE
16th century wellhead from Venice, rare find, museum quality that needs a bit of restoration, done by us.
The stone it's made out is Italian Pietra Serena.
Category
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Limestone
16th Hand Carved Stone Relief Renaissance Building Façade
Located in Marbella, ES
16th Hand Carved Stone Relief Renaissance Building Façade. Modern Iron Foot
Category
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Stone
Carved Italian Renaissance Fireplace
Located in London, GB
A heavily carved Italian stone fireplace. The frieze with heraldic lion juxtaposed by winged figures, birds and foliage, the jambs with putti, ...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Stone
Antique Fireplace Black Ardesia, luxury, '600 Italia From Prince of Rapallo
Located in Cuneo, Italy (CN)
Antique Fireplace Made of Ardesia
Comes from the house of the prince of Rapallo, IT
Rare Renaissance fireplace in richly carved slate; in the center the emblem with the insignia of t...
Category
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Precious Stone
Large Antique Italian Renaissance Style Stone Frieze
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A large antique Italian stone chimney piece frieze dating to circa 1800.
Originally salvaged from a monumental scale fireplace, this frieze displays fine carving in relief depicting...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Stone
Very Fine Statuary White Marble Fireplace in the Italian Renaissance Manner
Located in London, GB
A very fine statuary white marble fireplace in the Italian Renaissance manner. The carved jambs featuring classical amphorae surmounted by fruit, acorns, ribbons and foliage topped w...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Marble
Vintage Cast Brass English Chester Imp Door Knocker
Located in Elkhart, IN
A wonderful solid cast brass door-knocker fashioned as a horned imp or devil. The design is based on one found at the 1000 year old Chester Cathedral in England where the imp in question was said to wrought his havoc.
Restoration teams discovered a mysterious demonic carving, bound in chains, close to a window in the Cathedral nave. Historians are now labelling the mystery carving as “The Chester Imp...
Category
Mid-20th Century English Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Brass
Hand Carved Stone Capital Base Side Coffee Table Garden Pedestal Antique element
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Hand Carved Stone Capital Base Side Coffee Table Garden Pedestal Antique element . LARGE and Very rare Renaissance hand carved capital of the 16th century corner carved limestone Cha...
Category
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Stone, Limestone
Pair of Small Dutch Brass Andirons, 17th Century
Located in Haarlem, Noord-Holland
Busts of a queens on spreading mermaid legs, with turned vases on top.
Category
18th Century and Earlier Dutch Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Brass, Iron
Renaissance Carved French Oak Panel
Located in Denton, TX
Weathered Renaissance carved oak panel, originally from a piece of furniture.
Category
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Wood
Fireback from 1561 with the Alliance Arms of Jacques De Tige and Blanche De Vill
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Fireback from 1561 with the coat of arms of Jacques de Tige, son of Gobert de Tige and Catherine de Serainchamps, and Blanche de Villelongue, daughter of Jean de Villelongue and Clau...
Category
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Iron
Large Stone Italian Fireplace Mantel in the 18th Century Style
Located in London, GB
A fine quality 18th century style Italian fireplace carved in Portland stone. The frieze of isometric design with diamond panelled paterae interspersed with panelled husks, carved wi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Architectural Elements
Materials
Stone
Renaissance architectural elements for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Renaissance architectural elements for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage architectural elements created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include building and garden elements, wall decorations, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with stone, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Renaissance architectural elements made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for architectural elements differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $295 and tops out at $175,406 while the average work can sell for $6,460.