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.
Large Roman Neoclassical Plaster Foot of Hercules
Located in Houston, TX
Unusually large and well detailed neoclassical Roman plaster foot sculpture of Hercules. This vintage Italian academic plaster foot sculpture wo...
Plaster
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
Neoclassical Romanesque Bronze Female Form Sculptures with Marble Bases
Located in Dallas, TX
Gorgeous pair of antique golden cast bronze roman women on newly fabricated marble bases. They are hollow and the water jugs are open so they can be used to display an arrangement wi...
Marble, Bronze
foot sculpture with fine ancient Roman footwear - made in Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
carved foot, Roman footwear, marble foot, ancient Roman foot, Roman foot sculpture, Foot sculpture with footwear in ancient Rome style. Sculpture valuable and highly original Materi...
Marble
Horse head walking -fragment- white marble from carrara -made in Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Sculpture, horse sculpture, marble horse, carrara marble sculpture, sculpture made in Italy. Sculpture of a fragment of an incedent horse in the march Resting on a basalt and iron b...
Marble
Classical Maitland Smith Style Carved Mahogany Wood Bust on Alabaster - a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Please message us with your zip code to request a more reasonable domestic U.S. shipping quote. Classical Maitland Smith Style Carved Mahogany Wood Busts on Alabaster Plinths (Unmar...
Alabaster
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
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
German Figural Young Roman Bronze Mounted on Rouge Marble Base, Circa 1885
By Fritz Heinemann
Located in Charleston, SC
German figural bronze of young roman mounted on a circular squared rouge marble base, Late 19th century. Signed by sculptor Fritz Heinemann, Roma.
Marble, Bronze
sculpture of Roman woman with tunic and stole in white Carrara marble- made Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Roman woman sculpture, marble sculpture, Roman matron sculpture, Roman matron sculpture with tunic and stole carved on white Carrara marble original sculpture made in Italy The weigh...
Carrara Marble
$2,160Sale Price|20% Off
"Diana, Hunting and Moon Goddess" - Antique Biscuit Porcelain Sculpture, 1800s
Located in Skien, NO
LARGE SIZE - Extraordinary art sculpture, figurine group, statue in primitive antique biscuit Porcelain from 1800s. RARE collectible centerpiece. Title: "Diana, Hunting and Moon God...
Porcelain
17th Century Set Of Venetian Bronze Door Handles On Wooden Stands
Located in Bradenton, FL
Set of four 17th century Venetian bronze door handles, set on ebonized wooden stands. Each handle is a original of a bronze bust of an ancient Italian man affixed to a square wooden ...
Bronze
Bronze Statue Of Emperor Augustus, Roman Imperial Sculpture
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
This bronze statue is a figurative sculpture representing a ruler from the roman empire, inspired by classical depictions of emperor Augustus. Shown in a balanced contrapposto stance...
Bronze
21st Century Studio Irvine Betti Concrete Stool in Fir Green Cement Handmade
Located in Rome, Lazio
Surrealism, primitivism, metaphysics and brutalism. Art together with architecture and design build a scenario of inspirations and continuous references through which the material ri...
Concrete, Metal
Nineteenth Century Italian Bronze of Seated Hermes
Located in London, GB
Nineteenth century Italian bronze model of Seated Hermes, stamped 'GIORGIO SOMMER FOUNDRY, NAPLES', set on marble plinth base. Dimensions: 44cm (17¼") High, 42cm (16½") Wide, Base 2...
Marble, Bronze
Women In The Antique, Bronzes, XIXth Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Antique women, two brown patina bronzes of women standing in draped dresses Wooden bases Patina wear (traces of old gilding) 19th century price for the set Height 30 and 28cm D...
Bronze
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
1990s Bust of Roman General Hand Carved in Carrara White and Alicante Red Marble
Located in Marbella, ES
1990s bust of a Roman general, hand carved by craftsmen using Carrara white marble for the head and Alicante red for the toga, where the white and red contrast give movement and real...
Marble
Plaster Skinned Anatomical Figure, circa 1900s, Ellegible Signature
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Plaster Skinned Anatomical Figure, circa 1900s, Ellegible Signature
Plaster
Well-Carved Pair of Italian Romanesque Style Gray Painted Wooden Masks now Lamps
Located in San Francisco, CA
A well-carved and stylized pair of Italian Romanesque style gray painted wooden masks now mounted as lamps; each bearded face surrounded by thick curl...
$1,889Sale 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
$15,160Sale Price|20% Off
An Italian Cast 19th Century Bronze Group Mother & Children Titled "La Tempête"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Fine Italian Cast 19th Century Bronze Group Titled "La Tempête" (The Tempest) Probably after Mathurin Moreau (French, 1822–1912), Cast by The Alessandro Nelli Foundry in Rome. The ...
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Hand-Carved Marble Bust of Woman, Roman Style, Italy
Located in Basildon, GB
19th Century Carved Marble Portrait of a Woman. Carved of reddish-brown coloured marble, shown in classical style, inserted into a bust of alabaster and fitted with a socle of dark g...
Marble
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
1990s Bust of Roman Hand Carved in Carrara White and Alicante Red Marble
Located in Marbella, ES
1990s bust of a Roman, hand carved by craftsmen using Carrara white marble for the head and Alicante red on the toga, where the white veins give movement and realism to the cloth. Si...
Marble
Sculpture Woman in Bronze and Marble Guss Wollenbergu Schuttz
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
The German foundry Wollenberg & Schultz (frequently abbreviated in period inscriptions as Wollenberg u. Schultz) is a niche but historically highly significant name within Berlin's ...
Marble, Bronze
Sculpture in Polychrome Wood Representing Saint Marguerite, 18th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Sculpture in polychrome wood representing Saint Marguerite, 18th century. Sculpture of Saint Marguerite in carved wood and polychrome wood, France, 18th century. Dimensions : H: 54...
Wood
A fine pair of 19th c Classical bronzes by Henry Bonnard Bronze Co 1889
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine and rare pair of 19th century Classical Roman bronze heads of Ajax and Minerva. Done by famed American company Henry Bonnard Bronze Co . This com...
Bronze
Plaster Skinned Anatomical Figure, circa 1900s, Ellegible Signature
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Plaster Skinned Anatomical Figure, circa 1900s, Ellegible Signature
Plaster
Antique Greco-Roman Soldier Sculpture / Vase
Located in New York, NY
Very unique antique (19th century) continental figurative sculpture or centerpiece with shallow vase at center depicting Roman soldiers. 17 1/2 inches tall and 7 inches across. App...
Bronze
Late 20th Century Vintage Horse Statue
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This bronze horse head sculpture features a strong, elongated form with expressive detailing in the mane and muzzle. The finish is aged with hints of patina, lending it a sense of ti...
Bronze
Craved Rock Crystal Figure of Venus, 20th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A beautiful carved and polished small rock crystal figure of Venus, probably Italy, carved after the antique, early to mid-20th century. The nak...
Rock Crystal
Italian Carved Marble Bust of Robbed Eros with Quivers, God of Love, Circa 1820
Located in Charleston, SC
Italian hand carved marble bust of robbed Eros with quivers. Eros signifies the God of love. Early 19th Century
Marble
1990s Bust of Roman Hand Carved in Carrara White and Alicante Red Marble
Located in Marbella, ES
1990s bust of a Roman, hand carved by craftsmen using Carrara white marble for the head and Alicante red for the toga, where the white veins give movement and realism to the cloth. S...
Marble
Octavian Augustus bust in clear handmade ceramic made in Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Augustus, Octavian Augustus bust, Sculpture, emperor bust, Octavian bust, Augustus bust, ancient Roman bust, Roman art, classical art, Greek art, bust, refractory clay bust, sculptur...
Ceramic
Bronze figure of Augustus after Roman period original
Located in London, GB
Known as the ‘Augustus of Prima Porta,’ the original bronze version of this sculpture was created c. 20 BCE. That original has been lost since antiquity but is known today from a mar...
Marble, Bronze
Original plaster head representing EL DANTE, circa 1900
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Original plaster head representing EL DANTE, circa 1900
Plaster
Antique French Bronze of The Wounded Amazon by the Barbedienne Foundry
Located in London, GB
An antique French bronze model of the Wounded Amazon by Barbedienne, mid-nineteenth century, with rich brown patina, stamped to the base.
Bronze
Bronze sculpture Marcus Aurelius
Located in Rome, IT
Description Bronze sculpture Marcus Aurelius. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, INFORMATION OF THE LOT AND SHIPPING INFORMATION CAN BE REQUEST BY SENDING AN EMAIL. Indicative shipping costs in Ital...
Bronze
$1,706Sale Price|25% Off
Italian Marble Sculpture of a Dog, Circa 1900
Located in Nantucket, MA
The antique sculpture portrays a mastiff, sitting upright in an attentive pose with ears cocked, head canted, and mouth open. Hand carved from a block of green marble, unsigned. The...
Marble
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
19th Century Ebonized Plaster Bust of Marcus Tulles Cicero
Located in Stamford, CT
A Bust of Marcus Tulles Cicero, Roman Consul in 63 B.C. completed in ebonized plaster, circa 1880. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman statesman, orator, lawyer and philosopher, who served as consul in the year 63 BC. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order, and is considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists. (Wikipedia) Provenance: Collection of Brigadier General Alfred Douglas Miller...
Plaster
Collection of Italian Specimen Marble Spheres on Stands
Located in Hudson, NY
This three-piece grouping of specimen marble spheres can be sold as the group or as a pair ( the left and right are a pair or as a single in the middle) and a single. The marble is ...
Marble
Gilt Bronze Model of Ceres
Located in London, GB
A gilt bronze model of Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture, modeled seated holding torch aloft in one hand and with a sheaf of wheat in the other, on plin...
Fine Large 19th Century Continental Bronze Bust Depicting a Roman Dignitary
Located in Dallas, TX
Fine Continental Roman style bronze bust, late 19th century, depicting a curly haired and bearded young man wearing classical drapery pinned on his l...
Bronze
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
Mid-Century French Polished Iron Bust of Young "Bacchante" Female
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a shell or wine cellar with this elegant bust. Hand crafted in France circa 1970, and built of iron, the bust sits on an attached round base, and depicts a young female "Bac...
Iron
Sculpture Bust Roman Emperor White and Red Marble
Located in Tivoli Terme, Roma
The sculpture realized by a Roman sculptor as from the Roman academy tradition, is carved with two marbles. Gaius Iulius Caesare formally known as Cesare was a Roman general and statesman who played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic...
Marble
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
Antique Carved Wood Classical Sculpture
Located in London, GB
A beautiful and very unusual antique sculpture, carved from solid wood. This looks like it is most likely Italian, it depicts an intimate scene from biblical times. It is hard to dat...
Wood
A fine 19th century French signed bronze of Victory. Parcel gilt details .
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine 19th century French bronze depicting Victory. Signed with beautiful details and parcel gilt sword and wreath.
Bronze
Vintage Boho Plaster Bust of Man
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Introduce a touch of old-world grandeur to your home with this striking vintage neoclassical bust. Inspired by classical Greco-Roman sculpture, this piece features a serene visage cr...
Plaster, Paint
17th Century, Italian Ancient Carved Stone Bust of Roman Emperor
Located in IT
17th century, Italian ancient carved stone bust of Roman Emperor Measures: H 33 (with base) H 28.5 (sculpture only) x 25 x 7 cm. The ancient bust, in ...
Marble, Stone
19th Century Roman Obelisks in Red and Green Marble, Classical Style
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
19th Century Roman Obelisks Red and Green Marble Unique piece purchased in France. Age appropriate wear, see detailed photos or message us with questions.
Marble
Bacchus, Plaster Statue, France, circa 1930
Located in Paris, FR
Beautiful old plaster statue, in the neoclassical spirit, representing young Bacchus. France, National Museums molding workshop, circa 1930.
Plaster
19th Century Bronze Bust of Young Emperor in Classical Roman Style
Located in Roma, IT
19th century bronze bust of young emperor. This object is shipped from Italy. Under existing legislation, any object in Italy created over 70 years ago by an artist who has died re...
Bronze
Pair of Antique Decorative Bronze Roman Busts on Columns
Located in London, GB
A Pair of Miniature Bronzes of Roman Busts On Marmore Nero Columns In the Manner of Georges Servant After the original models exhibited at the Paris ex...
Marble, Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Classical Faux Marble Roundel with a Mask
Located in London, by appointment only
An extremely well-made copy of a classical mask after the antique, the face shown in high relief within a dished background and a border of Greek Key with discs to the four sides. No...
Resin
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
Centaur carved on white Carrara marble -made in italy -handmade
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Sculpture, marble centaur, Roman art, classical art, Greek art, bust, white Carrara marble, classical sculpture, ancient sculpture, ancient bust, made in Italy Centaur carved on whit...
Carrara Marble