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.
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
18th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood, Fruitwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble
Mid-20th Century European Renaissance Decorative Objects
Stone, Marble, Brass, Bronze
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Giltwood
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood, Walnut
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Majolica, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Earthenware
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Giltwood
1970s Italian Vintage Renaissance Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze, Wrought Iron
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Iron
19th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 20th Century Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Rock Crystal, Gold, Enamel
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century Renaissance Decorative Objects
Metal, Brass
20th Century German Renaissance Decorative Objects
Multi-gemstone, Sterling Silver
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
19th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
1950s Vintage Renaissance Decorative Objects
Metal, Stainless Steel
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Gold, Iron
17th Century Moroccan Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Copper, Tin
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ebony
20th Century French Renaissance Decorative Objects
Metal
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Terracotta
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
Mid-17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Pine
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Stone, Limestone
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
17th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Hardwood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Paper
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ironstone
1930s French Vintage Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century European Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze, Copper
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Walnut
18th Century European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Majolica
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Alabaster
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ceramic