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.
Pair of Early 20th Century Bronze Roman-Style Urns
Located in Chicago, IL
A phenomenal pair of early 20th century French cast bronze Roman-style urns with volute handles decorated with goose heads, and a frieze in low-relief depic...
Bronze
$15,802Sale Price|30% Off
Magnificent Malachite urn
Located in London, GB
Magnificent Malachite Urn Natural Stone Very Decorative with Gilt Metal Mounts
Malachite
Pair of 19th Century French Cast Iron Campana Garden Urns on Pedestals
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a patio, garden, or entryway with this elegant pair of antique French cast iron urns crafted circa 1850. Designed in the classica...
Iron
An Antique French 19th Century Bronze Warwick Urn
Located in London, GB
The vase is made of bronze and features a large, bell-shaped body adorned with intricate reliefs. Its design includes classical motifs such as Bacchic (related to Bacchus, the god o...
Bronze
$600 / set
Grand Faux Marble Urn Vessels, Pair
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Dramatic lightweight resin urn shaped vessels featuring a realistic hand-painted honed Carrara marble faux finish. Classically inspired modern shaped vases sit on top of detachable p...
Resin
Pair of 19th Century French Cast Iron Medici Urns with Original Patina
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a patio, garden, or sunroom with this elegant pair of antique urns. Crafted in France circa 1850, each classical vase stands on a square base supporting a baluster-shaped pe...
Iron
Large Italian Terra Cotta 'Grand Tour' Amphora c 1820
Located in Kastrup, DK
Rare large classicist 'Grand Tour' amphora in original untouched condition. Made of terracotta with original polychrome Etruscan paintings on white chalk undercoat. On a square woode...
Terracotta, Wood
Large Italian Glazed Terracotta Urn with Stylized Horse
By Urbino Workshop
Located in Houston, TX
Large Italian Glazed Terracotta Urn with stylized Horse. Italian glazed terracotta Urbino Maiolica style urn or vessel in muted colors with wel...
Terracotta
KPM Berlin rare hand-painted lidded vase 26 cm (10.2 inches)
By Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM)
Located in Uppsala , SE
A Classic lidded vase, KPM Berlin, mark 1960-1970 1st choice, red imperial orb mark. Urn form on a square base with four pressed ball feet, relief decoration of ornamental friezes a...
Porcelain
Large Pair of 19th Century Italain Medici Urns on Sienna Marble Bases
Located in Hudson, NY
This impressive and large pair of decorative urns from the grand tour are designed to recreate the famous Medici Vase. The grand vase a 1st cen...
Marble, Bronze
Vase made of marble Breccia Princess h 60 cm with lid
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Vase, Urn , Medicean Vase , Marble Urn , Furnishing Vase, Chalice , cup, Classic Vase, Roman Vase, Cinerary Urn. Lathe-turned Breccia Marble Princess vase complete with lid and drill...
Marble
Tiffany Studios Bronze Italian Style Urn “From the Antique” Series early 1900s
Located in Glenford, NY
Rare Very Fine Tiffany Studios Classical Roman Style Urn. Made in approximately 1908 as part of their “From the Antique” series. The series number is S113 and 1609 is marked on the ...
Bronze
Salviati Miniature Glass Tazza
Located in New York, NY
In 19th-century Venice, glassmaking studios were pokey little family affairs. The craft was passed on from father to son, and conducted in a studio, with an assistant or two, and per...
Glass
Late 19th Century Pair of French Victorian Bronze Urns
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of French Victorian bronze urns with handles and enamel crest. (PRICED AS PAIR).
Bronze, Enamel
Pair of Gilt Bronze Grand Tour Urns on Marble Bases
Located in Hudson, NY
A pair of gilt bronze Grand Tour urns mounted on marble bases.
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Pair Monumental Neoclassical Carved White Marble Urns
Located in New York, NY
Pair of finest quality monumental 19 century Italian neoclassical carved white marble urns each measuring 39 1/2 inches tall. Signed Firenze (for Fl...
Marble
$12,500
H 27 in W 8 in D 8 in
Fine Large Early 20th C Louis XVI Style Gilt Bronze Mounted Malachite Urn
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine large early 20th century Louis XVI style gilt bronze mounted malachite urn.
Malachite
Pair of 19 Century Cast Iron Urns
Located in London, Park Royal
19th French century cast iron urns. Scrolled decorative handles. Very nice patina.
Iron
$4,651 / set
H 13.5 in W 6 in D 6 in
Fine Pair of Early 19th Century Bronze and Ormolu Campana Shaped Urns
Located in London, GB
A pair of early 19th century bronze and ormolu Campana shaped urns, having moulded and beaded rims with satire mask handles, raised on leaf decorat...
Bronze, Ormolu
Portuguese Majolica Vase Urn
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a Portuguese Majolica Vase Urn. It depicts a hand painted blue and white scenes of young olive trees and some birds flying in the sky. The bottom of the vase is adorned with ...
Ceramic
Republic Period, Spinach Jade Urn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elaborately carved, richly colored, Chinese, spinach jade urn with Foo dog lid and two-sided, top-to-bottom bas relief, foliate and geometric embellishments.
Jade
Pair of Medici Vases, Hand Painted Porcelain, French, 19th Century
Located in Lantau, HK
A pair of elegant vases finely painted with flowers and butterflies in brilliant colors, richly gilded on handles and base. Shipping included Free and fast delivery door to door ...
Porcelain
Pair of French Restoration Urns, 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of French restoration urns. 19th century In ormolu and patinated bronze on rouge griotte marble bases.
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Majolica Urn
Located in Houston, TX
Early 20th century Italian majolica urn. This gorgeous Italian majolica or maiolica urn or jardiniere is hand decorated with serpents, dolphins an...
Ceramic, Maiolica, Majolica
$3,650 / set
H 20 in W 11.25 in D 11.25 in
Pair of 19th Century French Neoclassical Style Iron Urns on Plinths
Located in Houston, TX
Pair of 19th century French Neoclassical style iron garden urns on plinths. These beautiful French cast iron campana garden urns, planters or jardi...
Iron
Roman Ancient Pottery Amphora Twin Handled Vessel 400BC
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A stunning and very fine ancient Roman pottery amphora twin handled vessel dating from around 400BC. The lightly potted and unglazed vessel stands on a small round base with a tall r...
Earthenware
Roman Glass Urn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Roman glass, Grand Tour style handled urn. Late 19th/early 20th century.
Glass
Large Vintage Classical Italian Pottery Urn Fluted Vase Hand Made Jar 18"
Located in Wilton, CT
Large vintage hand turned Italian pottery vase with fluted sides and S-form handles. Classical Italian urn form. Great looking piece. Circa late 20th century. 18" high, 16" across ha...
Pottery
Cypriot Byzantine Limestone Mortar with Craved Abstract Decoration
Located in Stamford, CT
A very interesting Byzantine Cypriot limestone mortar with unusual hand carved decoration on all four sides. It is possibly a re-purposed capital, the top hollowed out at some point ...
Limestone
Pair of Romanesque Bronze Urns, circa 1890s
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Pair of Romanesque bronze urns on rouge de fer marble bases, circa 1890s. Classical motifs abound, from bas relief libation scenes to busts of a goddess. One marble base repaired. ...
Marble, Bronze
White and Gilt Capodimonte Porcelain Urns with Lids and Putti Decoration
By Capodimonte
Located in Essex, MA
Pair of white and gilt hand painted Capodimonte classical urns with lids on a tapering square base. The urns have Classic scrolled handles and are decorated on the bodies with raised...
Porcelain
Murano Scavo Art Glass Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano, Italy, 1960s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Murano Pink and Blue Scavo Art Glass Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano, Italy, 1960s Murano small vase in pink glass with blue handles, very delicate work w...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Pair of 19th Century French Weathered Iron Campana-Form Garden Vases
Located in Dallas, TX
Crafted in France circa 1880, these antique vases stand on a square base with twisted pedestal foot. Each vase has a wide mouth, flair rim with spri...
Iron
Sold
H 14.5 in W 5.25 in D 5.25 in
Antique Austrian Royal Vienna Hand Painted & Enameled Porcelain Urn c1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Austrian Royal Vienna lidded urn offers porcelain construction with vessel having hand painted genre scene of Classical Greek figures ...
Porcelain, Paint
19th Century Italian Tuscan Handled Urn
Located in Hastings, GB
Dating to circa 1880 this exceptional Tuscan urn is decorated with incised design and has two large, scrolled handles. The applied face details to the side highlighted in green glaze over the deep orange/ochre body, the finish is almost iridescent. Inscribed on the shoulder XXIV and MDC, a truly beautiful, rare and highly decorative piece of 19th century Italian pottery...
Terracotta
Mid-19th Century, French, Two-Tone Painted Iron Campana Form Urns, Set of 2
Located in Dallas, TX
Place these large vases at your front or back door! Crafted in France circa 1850, the antique Campana form urns stand on a square base with a wide mouth at the top, and feature the original painted and weathered finish. The tall Medici planters...
Iron
Vintage Italian Terracotta Cornucopia Urn
Located in Chicago, IL
A classical mid-20th century Italian terracotta cornucopia urn of stylized fluted goat horn form on a raised based. Perfect planted with your favorite fern, but also breathtaking emp...
Terracotta