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
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Paper, Textile, Linen, Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Limestone, Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Majolica
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Walnut
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood, Giltwood
Early 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Majolica
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Majolica, Paint
Late 17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood, Chestnut
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Giltwood
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century European Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze, Copper
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century British Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Decorative Objects
Pewter
15th Century and Earlier French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Pine
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Paint
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
1990s Italian Renaissance Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
1790s Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Renaissance Decorative Objects
Oak
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Hardwood
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ebony
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Majolica
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Fruitwood
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Decorative Objects
Silver
19th Century Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Giltwood
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Metal
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Oak
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Walnut
20th Century Renaissance Decorative Objects
Silver, Copper
Early 17th Century German Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
16th Century English Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Limestone
Early 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Brass
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Decorative Objects
Walnut