During Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D., Pompeii and Herculaneum in today’s Italy were preserved as they were on the day of their destruction. Particularly at Herculaneum, furnishings were carbonized beneath volcanic ash. This was pivotal to understanding how Classical Roman furniture was designed. Archaeological investigations and printed reproductions of discoveries would influence styles evoking this ancient civilization, from the Renaissance to neoclassicism.
While knowledge of Classical Roman furniture comes from rare surviving pieces, it is also derived from frescoes and sculptures portraying Roman life. Much of Roman art, architecture and design was informed by Greece — Roman architect, military engineer and writer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, whose timeless De architectura is taught in contemporary architecture classes and pays tribute to classical architecture, visited Greece while working under Julius Caesar and admired the country’s architectural developments. The Roman solium references the Greek thronos, a stately chair of honor with an upright form and footstool. As the Roman Empire spread across Europe and into North Africa and Western Asia, the expansion of trade for silver, silk, marble and wood allowed for more luxurious designs.
Classical Roman furniture was made from bronze, wood and stone — in particular, marble — with ornate touches like tortoiseshell veneers, bone and glass inlays and claw feet. Ornaments depicting lion heads and mythological figures were sculpted from silver, bronze and ivory. Compared to the decorative attention given to the mosaic floors and wall paintings, however, furniture for even a wealthy house was minimal. It focused on the necessities for guests arriving for both socializing and business and the rooms housing family, relatives and enslaved people.
The triclinium dining room had banquet couches, items so prized they were sometimes interred with the deceased. Tall bronze or terracotta candelabras held oil lamps for lighting. Carved marble tables reflected status, while the lararium home shrine demonstrated faith.
Find a collection of Classical Roman decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$565Sale Price|20% Off
Bronze Laurel Wreath
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
Some years ago I found this bronze laurel wreath: I liked it, I bought and placed it on a beautiful marble head. ref. O/6843.
Bronze
A Grand Tour bronze figure of Mercury ( Hermes ) on a marble collum
Located in 'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, NL
A bronze on a marble column after Giovanni Bologna, depicting the Roman god Mercury messenger of the gods flying through the air raised on a path of air made by the mouth of a cherub...
Marble, Bronze
Horse sculpture -fragment- light ceramic bronze patina -made in Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Horse sculpture fragment, ceramic horse, bronze horse Bronze patinated light ceramic sculpture placed on volcanic stone and iron base light refractory ceramic, bronze patinated. dime...
Ceramic
Extremely Rare Roman Glass Fragment with Iridescent Patina – 1st–4th Century AD
Located in Fukuoka, JP
A remarkable and rare fragment of ancient Roman glass, dating from the 1st to 4th century AD. The glass is preserved in excellent condition and displays a stunning natural iridescent...
Glass
Bust Julius Caesar carved on white and cipolin marble -made in Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Sculpture, emperor bust, Caesar bust, Julius Caesar bust, ancient Roman bust, Roman art, classical art, Greek art, bust, white Carrara marble, classical sculpture, ancient sculpture,...
Marble
Flying Mercury, After Giambologna, Bronze Lamp, 19th Century
By Giambologna
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Bronze sculpture "Flying Mercury", after Giambologna, mounted as a lamp, on a green marble column base decorated with a bronze frieze, with allegories of the Arts. Wear and tear ...
Marble, Bronze
Antique Black & White Alabaster Lotus Flower Pendant Light, Top Quality Fixture
Located in Lisse, NL
Top-class antique light fixture with a stunning hand-carved alabaster shade, brass chains and an alabaster canopy. Thanks to its unique design and generous size, this antique alabas...
Alabaster, Metal, Brass
Stylish, Late 1800s Handmade Italian, Alabaster Column, Pedestal or Stand
Located in Lisse, NL
Wonderful Roman column for displaying a work of art. This piece is composed of eight stacked segments, forming a beautifully twisted column inspired by ancient Roman and Baroque des...
Alabaster
Large Antique Sculpted Marble Figure of Caesar Augustus
Located in London, GB
Large antique sculpted marble figure of Caesar Augustus Italian, early 20th century Measures: Height 186cm, width 118cm, depth 44cm Known as the ‘Augustus of Prima Porta,’ the o...
Marble
Head Julius Caesar carved on white Carrara marble - made in Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Julius Caesar sculpture, Caesar head sculpture, Sculpture, Male head, classical art, Greek art, Julius Caesar art , white Carrara marble, classical sculpture, Portrait head of Juliu...
Marble
Large Meissen Porcelain Figurine Group 'Apollo & Daphne', By Juechtzer, Ca. 1860
By Christian Gottfried Juechtzer, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent large and rare Meissen figurine group from the 19th century: Apollo clothed with a cloak embraces Daphne from behind, who is fleeing from him and has already frozen into a ...
Porcelain
English 20th Century Stone Bust of a Greco-Roman Youth
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
English, early 20th century or very late 19th century, bust of a young male to add Greco-Roman classical beauty to any garden or art collection. The solid, reconstituted stone–a conc...
Stone
$1,120Sale Price|20% Off
Max DeMoss 1987 Bronze Figurative Abstract Sculpture
By Max DeMoss
Located in Oceanside, US
This sculpture presents a dynamic and emotive scene, likely crafted in bronze, depicting three figures interacting with a horse in a dramatic, fragmented style. The composition evoke...
Bronze
Roman She-wolf, Grand Tour, Antique Bronze, Late 19th Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Roman Wolf, large antique patinated bronze of the Capitoline she-wolf, on a green marble base. This sculpture illustrates the legend of the founding of ...
Bronze
Ancient Roman Head of Serapis in Alabaster
Located in BARCELONA, ES
21 cm with the stand. Provenance: Private collection, France. Serapis was a syncretic deity created in Ptolemaic Egypt and subsequently adopted throughout the Roman world. He combi...
Alabaster
Bronze model of Diana the Huntress
Located in London, GB
A bronze model of Diana the Huntress, French, c.1900, after the original by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828).
Bronze
Terra Cotta “Wrestlers” after 3rd Century BCE Greek Sculpture
Located in Kent, CT
Grand scale terra cotta after the Roman marble Wrestlers sculpture at The Uffizi. Wrestlers (also known as The Two Wrestlers, The Uffizi Wrestlers, o...
Terracotta
Vintage Italian Grand Tour Bronze Bust of Augustus Caesar
Located in Chicago, IL
Vintage Italian Grand Tour Bronze Bust of Augustus Caesar A finely cast bust of Augustus of Prima Porta, masterfully modeled and presented atop an elegant marble plinth with a decor...
Marble, Bronze
Italian Mid-Nineteenth Century Bronze Bust of Lucius Verus
Located in London, GB
Italian mid-nineteenth century bronze bust of Lucius Verus, circa 1860-1870, on circular waisted socle. Lucius Verus ruled Rome alongside Marcus Aureli...
Bronze
Antique Hand-Carved Wooden Wing Sculpture on Iron Base, Italy, 1860
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
An angel lost a wing... and I picked it up for Christmas time...
Fruitwood
$895 / set
Vintage Bronze Soilder Statue - Set of 2
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This pair of cast metal knight figures exudes old-world grandeur, each standing tall in intricately detailed armor with a raised flag bearing a heraldic crest. Their mirrored stances...
Metal
Vintage Statue With Warrior on Horseback
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This dramatic sculpture depicts a triumphant mounted figure mid-charge, rendered in a weathered gray finish that echoes aged bronze. With one hand raised in victory and the other com...
Bronze
Roman Busts, Set of 3 Ormolu Mounted Models of Busts of Caesar on Marble Bases
Located in New York, NY
This distinguished set of three Neoclassical Roman busts, dating to the late 19th century, represents Roman Caesars in ceremonial military outfits. Each figure is modeled with an ind...
Marble, Bronze
Bust of Carrera Marble and Honey Onyx
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Bust Roman Emperor, carrara marble and honey onyx.
Onyx, Marble
Large Stone Bust of Julius Ceasar
Located in Swadlincote, GB
A very good stone bust of Julius Ceasar, hollow inside and in overall very good condition. 24" high 25" wiide 15" depth You are welcome to view this item at our showroom, please p...
Cast Stone
Antique Bronze Putti Sculptures on Siena Marble Base, Italy, 1880
Located in Montreal, QC
This charming young couple evoke summer in Italy. She with a bill hook and branch with fruiting vine, and her companion with a sheaf of wheat over his shoulder. Each is well modelled...
Marble, Bronze
Front Panel of a Sarcophagus. Ancient Roman 3rd century AD. Marble. 114 cm long.
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Front Panel of a Sarcophagus Roman 3rd century AD Marble 114 cm long, 33.5 cm high and 4.7 cm thick Condition: Good state of preservation. A vertical break on the right-hand sid...
Marble
$875Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Italian Hand-Carved Wood Frieze, Early 19th Century
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
This antique italian wood frieze, hand carved and named "half a palm", still has traces of lacquer, silver and gold, almost erased by time. It can also be the base of a lamp. ref. ...
Fruitwood
Corinthian capital. Roman, southern Iberian Peninsula, 1st-3rd century AD. 36 cm
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Corinthian capital. Ancient Roman, southern Iberian Peninsula, 1st - 3rd century AD. Marble. Height 36 cm, width 35 cm and depth 25 cm. Condition Good state of preservation Prov...
Marble
$1,800 / set
David Foot Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Michelangelo David Foot Sculpture Art work at the Academia dal belle arte Venezia . sold as a set it was meant to be coffee table with the glass as a top . USA Continental in home de...
Gesso
19th c. French Bronze Dancing Faun by Lequesne Eugène-Louis
By (after) Eugène-Louis Lequesne
Located in Wichita, KS
A 19th c. French bronze figure of a dancing faun by Eugène-Louis Lequesne. Hand-signed at the base Lequesne (1815-1887). Likely cast by the Gautieur foundry. Found in Paris. Dime...
Bronze
Mid-Nineteenth Century Italian Bronze Sculptures of Creugas and Damoxenes
Located in London, GB
Mid-nineteenth century Italian bronze sculptures of Creugas and Damoxenes after the eighteenth century original 'I Pugilatori' by Antonio Canova, set atop serpentine columns. Creuga...
Serpentine, Bronze
Antique Patinated Bronze Figure of Roman Emperor by Mathurin Moreau
Located in London, GB
This fine, full length figure is modelled in the contrapposto pose, a position originating from ancient Greek Classical sculpture. The visual arts uses the term 'contrapposto' to des...
Bronze
White Marble Bust of a Roman Emperor, 20th Century
Located in Puglia, Puglia
A refined Carrara marble bust depicting a young Roman emperor, crafted with meticulous attention to detail and inspired by classical portraiture from antiquity. The face has harmoni...
Marble, Carrara Marble
A Roman Marble Sculpture of Hercules, Circa 1st / 2nd Century AD Ex Sotheby's
Located in ARMADALE, VIC
A Roman Marble Sculpture of Hercules, Circa 1st / 2nd Century AD The sculpture is nude except for the draped Nemean lion skin. Provenance: Sotheby's London, December 14, 1981, lot ...
Marble
Sculpture of Large Male Torso Classical Style- made in Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Torso maschile imponente, peso circa kg 800, scolpito su marmo bianco Carrara poggiante su base travertino Romano ispirato al Doriforo che si trova agli uffizi di Firenze. Original m...
Carrara Marble
Grande Busto Caracalla scolpito su bellissimo marmo bianco (made in italy)
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Scultura, busto imperatore, busto Caracalla, busto marmo, busto romano antico, arte romana, arte classica, arte greca, busto, marmo bianco Carrara, scultur...
Marble
Bust of Marcus Aurelius in polychrome marble -made in Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Sculpture, emperor bust, ancient Roman bust, Roman art, classical art, Greek art, bust, white Carrara marble, classical sculpture, Marcus Aurelius, ancient sculpture, ancient bust, m...
Carrara Marble
Polychrome Marble Bust of a Roman Emperor, 20th Century
Located in Puglia, Puglia
A refined polychrome marble sculptural bust depicting a young Roman emperor, crafted with meticulous attention to detail and inspired by classical portraiture of antiquity. The head...
Marble, Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble
19th Century Italian Alabaster Group of Children Pushing a Cart
By Aristide Petrilli
Located in Brighton, Sussex
This enchanting 19th century Italian carved Alabaster group of four putti playing whilst pushing and pulling a wooden cart, entitled; 'From the harvest' By Prof; A. Petrill, Firenze....
Alabaster
Bisque Porcelain a Stature of Boy and Girl Reading a Book, French, 19th Century
Located in Lantau, HK
A 19th century French bisque sculpture of a stature of boy and girl reading a book. Biscuit porcelain with indistinct signature to base 'LIARD', Shipping included Free and fa...
Carrara Marble
Sabatino De Angelis Fils Grand Tour Bronze Oil Lamp
By Sabatino De Angelis
Located in Sarasota, FL
Grand tour ancient Roman oil lamp. Signed and dated 1905 by Sabatino de Angelis et Fil. Stunning quality bronze work.
Bronze
Roman Style Solid Marble Bust
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Roman Style Solid Marble Bust This bust measures: 15 wide x 10 deep x 23 inches high This piece is in Great Vintage Condition with minor marks, den...
Marble
Bust of a young woman. Ancient Rome, 2nd-4th century AD. 6.6 cm height. Bronze.
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Bust of a young woman. Ancient Rome, 2nd - 4th century AD. Bronze and Silver. Height 6.6 cm and 14 cm with the stand. Provenance: - Private collection, Mr. S. D., France, acquir...
Silver, Bronze
1978 Gino Ruggeri Italian Alabaster Figural High Relief Wall Plaque Sculpture
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful alabaster wall plate features a high relief sculpture commemorating the opera, Carmen. Made by hand in Tuscany, Italy by master sculptor Gino Ruggeri. Comes in the original...
Alabaster
Roman Bronze Parade Helmet Fragment, circa A.D. 1st century
Located in York, GB
Provenance: German art market, 2002; With Jean-David Cahn AG, Basel, 2008; Private collection Switzerland; With Cahn International AG, Basel, 2018; Private collection, London - p...
Bronze
Antique Hand-Carved Italian Lion Head Fountain Mask, Early 1900s
Located in Milano, MI
This antique stone mask was probably used in a fountain. It is a very decorative Italian antique object. The mask fits as decorative object on a bureau o...
Stone
Julius Caesar bust in white Carrara marble
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Scultura, busto imperatore, busto Cesare, busto Giulio Cesare, busto romano antico, arte romana, arte classica, arte greca, busto, marmo bianco Carrara, scultura classica, marco Aure...
Marble
Sculptural set of Love and Psyche. Ancient Rome, 1st - 2nd century AD. Marble.
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Sculptural set of Love and Psyche. Ancient Rome, 1st - 2nd century AD. Marble. Height 73 cm. Provenance: - Former private collection, Poitiers, France. Condition: Torsos and low...
Marble
$3,360Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of 19th Century Cast Lead Cupids from a Municipal Fountain
By Fiske Or Mott
Located in New York, NY
Stunning pair of cast lead cupids, originally part of a grand public fountain, now destroyed. The seated cupids hold a wine goblet in one hand, and a cluster of grapes on the other. ...
Lead
Head of Aphrodite. Ancient Rome, 1st century BC–1st century AD. Alabaster. 4 cm.
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Head of Aphrodite Ancient Rome, 1st century BC–1st century AD Alabaster 4 cm high; 8.5 cm high including the stand Condition: In good condition. Provenance: Private collection o...
Alabaster
Mid-century vintage plaster figural wall sculpture
Located in Allentown, PA
This is a mid century vintage plaster figural wall sculpture. This wall sculpture is made of plaster with a venetian finish the surface of the p...
Plaster
Bronze Cupid Sculpture with Goose on Marble Base, Italian, 1910
Located in Montreal, QC
A figure of a nude, winged boy (Cupid), carrying a goose under his left arm. The source for this sculpture is a two-foot high bronze fountain figure...
Marble, Bronze
Large 19th Century Neoclassical Renaissance Revival Grand Tour Tazza
Located in New York, NY
19th century continental Grand Tour tazza in the Renaissance style exhibiting the finest design and casting with magnificent details including the profile of a distinguished gentlema...
Bronze
Plaster Skinned Anatomical Figure, circa 1900s, Ellegible Signature
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Plaster Skinned Anatomical Figure, circa 1900s, Ellegible Signature
Plaster
17th Century Italian Carrara Marble Bust of a Classical Roman
Located in Houston, TX
17th century Italian carrara marble bust of a Classical Roman. Finely carved Classical Roman Carrara marble bust sculpture from the 17th ce...
Marble
Life Size Horse Head in Plaster on Pedestal
Located in Tilburg, NL
Wonderful large horse head in plaster. Big scale and great details and patina. The white plaster creates a beautiful interplay of light and shadows. Shows great movement in the way the head is depicted. Reminiscent of equivalent plaster casts of horse heads from the Parthenon frieze...
Plaster, Boxwood
Arm of a sculpture. Ancient Rome, 2nd century AD. 40 cm length. Bronze.
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Arm of a sculpture. Ancient Rome, 2nd century AD. Bronze Length 40 cm, 29 cm height with the stand. Condition: Good state of conservation, without restorations. It has two dents...
Bronze
$1,892Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century Framed Relief Sculpture, Inspired by the style of Clodion
Located in NICE, FR
This large plaster relief was inspired by Claude Michel Clodion's fresco and was crafted in the workshops of the Louvre Museum in Paris in the lat...
Plaster
Carrara Marble Head In Antique Style
Located in Charmes, FR
18th century or older sculpted marble head? mounted on a contemporary iron base in good condition
Carrara Marble