Renaissance Decorative Objects
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.
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Sandstone
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Metal
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Earthenware
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Maiolica
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Oak
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Other
17th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Stoneware
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
16th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze, Copper
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Alabaster
Early 18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Early 17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Stone
Early 17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Other
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Giltwood
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Terracotta
16th Century English Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Limestone
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Other
15th Century and Earlier European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Oak
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Oak
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
15th Century and Earlier French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Glass
Mid-18th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Stone
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Glass
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Gold
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood, Walnut
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Stone
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Stone
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Pottery
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Copper, Other
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Belgian Black Marble
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
17th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Stucco, Wood, Paper
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood, Fruitwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Pottery
1690s European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ormolu
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood