The Middle Ages in Europe followed the end of the Roman Empire, and in this time of change, which preceded the Renaissance, furniture was simple and utilitarian, with most homes having only the necessities like chests and benches. Much of medieval furniture, which was often made in oak or walnut, was built for the elite, particularly the emerging merchant class who owned multiple homes.
Life for many in the medieval era was unstable, and furniture was designed to be functional and portable. Peasants worked the fields for affluent landowners and didn’t have access to literature in the way that nobles and people of the church did (women less so than men). The furniture in their modest dwellings was typically limited to cookware and a handful of stools. Foldable chairs, while uncommon in homes of the early Middle Ages and emblematic of wealth, like all other furnishings of the time, allowed for easy transportation of a household. Trestle tables with detachable legs and collapsible beds were designed to be simply moved from place to place.
Medieval blanket chests were among the most important furniture objects and could further serve as tables or even beds. Some ancient traditions were carried forward to build this sturdy furniture, such as turnery. Although the furniture was minimally designed, embellishments like carvings added elegance to the heavy wood pieces. These details sometimes reflected trends in religious art like rose windows.
By the later Middle Ages, storage pieces like chests of drawers were often adorned with high relief carvings, such as geometric and floral motifs. By the 14th and 15th centuries, design had developed to include more involved pieces like cupboards and desks, while benches frequently doubled as chests with hinged seats. Beds also changed in this era from basic boards to four-post designs with large drapes to keep the sleeper warm. These beds and other medieval bedroom furniture were significant status symbols, passed down through families and used as places to conduct business and receive visitors.
Surviving examples of medieval furniture are very rare, yet its distinctive aesthetics influenced later styles like William and Mary and Arts and Crafts.
Find a collection of medieval seating, garden elements, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$1,705Sale Price / set|44% Off
Antique Gilt Bronze Three Arm Candelabra by Cornelius & Co., 1840, USA
Located in New Orleans, LA
An exquisite, period pair of antique Cornelius and Company gilt bronze three arm candlesticks, Philadelphia, circa 1840, having been electrified ...
Bronze
Pair of Gothic Style Wrought Iron Wall Lights with 2 Arms, circa 1940
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This nice pair of wall lights with 2 Arms is made of wrought iron. This is a French work in the Gothic Style (Indicated Height without candles). Circa 1940 Additional Information: M...
Wrought Iron
Gothic Style Iron Chandelier
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Very Fine Hand Hammered Iron Chandelier in the Gothic style. Extraordinary iron work. 16 lights. France, circa 1890. Dimensions: Height 51" Diameter 44" CW5203
Iron
$11,800Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of 12' Polychromed Plaster Angel 14-Light Candelabra / Lamps on Pedestals
By Daprato Rigali Studios
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of 12' polychromed plaster angel 14-light candelabra / lamps on pedestals Subtle and dramatic, impressive in size and well executed. Each angel sta...
Brass
Rare 1920's Bronze lantern
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautiful and rare 1920's bronze lantern, the patina is so much nicer in person
Bronze
19th Century French Gothic Forged Iron Eight-Light Island Chandelier
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant antique light fixture was forged in France, circa 1890. Rectangular in shape and almost 4 feet long, the chandelier with a flat bottom, features an intricate pierced gallery with scrolled work around the perimeter, and embellished with gilt floral rosette medallions in each recessed corner; the light has the original double chains on each side connected to a crossed bar, under the top double chain. The large chandelier has eight inside arms newly wired and each iron torch light...
Iron
Antique Gothic Silvered Bronze 12-Light Chandelier, Circa 1860.
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique Gothic Silvered Bronze 12-Light Chandelier, Circa 1860.
Bronze
$1,282Sale Price|25% Off
6 Lights Wrought Iron Candlestick
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This very nice and delicate 6 lights candlestick is made of wrought iron. This is a French work. Circa 1950
Iron, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Forged Wrought Iron 5 Light Candelabra Floor Lamp
Located in Miami, FL
Early 20th century Gothic Style French forged wrought iron 5 light candelabra floor lamp. US Rewiring and each takes a regular or LED Light bulb. Has a cord switch attached to the tw...
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Gothic Forged Iron Six Candles Chandelier
Located in Paris, FR
Large decorative forged iron chandelier, late 19th century. Forged in France, circa 1890, the large chandelier can receive 6 candles (candles not provided). On wavy shapes, the chand...
Iron
Rectangular wrought iron chandelier
Located in Tarrytown, NY
Rectangular wrought iron chandelier with golden twist trim details and original canopy.
Wrought Iron
A Superb French Gothic Iron Entrance Wall Light
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Superb French Gothic Iron Entrance Wall Light A very handsome French iron wall light with a glass flame shade, the light is set at a slight incline and would enhance the entrance...
Iron
Large Vintage Gothic or Art Deco Black Wrought Iron & White Milk Glass Lights
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful large vintage gothic or Art Deco black painted wrought iron & white milk glass light fixtures. 3 total selling separately. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that these a...
Wrought Iron
20th Century French Lantern
Located in Atlanta, GA
This elegant 20th-century French lantern showcases the timeless artistry of wrought iron craftsmanship. Its intricate scrollwork features delicate curves and flourishes, creating a s...
Iron
$1,187Sale Price|20% Off
Wrought Iron Floor Lamp with 4 Lights, French, circa 1950
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This 4 lights decorative floor lamp is made of wrought iron. This is a nice French work, circa 1950.
Wrought Iron
Pair of Early 1900s French Medieval Style Wrought Iron Torch Sconces
Located in Dallas, TX
Crafted in the early 1900s to evoke the feeling of a Medieval castle torch, this pair of French wrought iron sconces features a cylindrical enclosure around a single illumination poi...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
French Gothic Iron Wall Light, Antique Design, Circa 1900, Heavy Duty
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Superb French Gothic Iron Wall Light A very handsome Large Heavy French wall light, the light is set at a slight incline and would enhance the entrance ...
Iron
Gothic Wrought Iron Floor Lamp, Blacksmith Made, 50\" Tall
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Blacksmith made Gothic wrought iron floor lamp This is a very unusual Gothic Wrought Iron Floor Lamp the Stand is blacksmith made, it stands on 4 feet and takes a 2” diameter wa...
Iron
An Old Decorative Green Man Copper Lantern This old Hall Lantern has 6 sides
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
An Old Decorative Green Man Copper Lantern This very old Hall Lantern has 6 bevelled glass sides This very unusual Baroque light is wired for electricity, it has the mask of the gr...
Copper
Gothic Style Brass Table Lamps with Belgium Linen Shade
Located in Sheffield, MA
Pair of antique French Gothic Revival style brass table lamps with Belgium, linen shades. Great original condition with patina. Measures: Height from bottom to top of shade 26" Dia...
Brass
19th Century Blacksmith Made Gothic Wrought Iron Floor Lamp
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
19th Century Blacksmith Made Gothic wrought iron floor lamp This is a very unusual Gothic Wrought Iron Floor Lamp the stand is blacksmith made, it stands on 3 feet and takes a wax candle which sits in the centre sconce...
Iron
Pair of 19th Century Italian Medieval Style One-Arm Sconces
Located in New Orleans, LA
A pair of carved, painted and gilded sconces in the Medieval style. 19th century Italian.
Wood
Spanish Medieval Torch Chandelier in Gilt Wrought Iron and Wood, Six Lights
Located in Barcelona, ES
One of a Kind Gilt Iron and Oak Wood Six-Light Torch Chandelier, Hand-Forged, Spain 1940s Large size. This outstanding torch chandelier features a rectangular oak wood base holding t...
Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf, Iron
Pair of Monumental 19th Century Medieval Style Brass Candelabra
Located in Troy, NY
Pair of massive Gothic style brass candelabra of impressive size. Can be electrified or used to hold large pillar candles.
Brass
Pair of Nine-Light Crystal and Bronze Domed Chandelier Depicting Gargoyle
Located in North Bergen, NJ
Pair of Gothic nine-light crystal and bronze domed chandelier depicting gargoyle motif. Having one large centre glass bowl surrounded by six smaller glass bowls...
19th Century French Gothic Forged Iron Five-Light Floor Lamp
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a study of office with this elegant floor fixture. Crafted in southern France, circa 1860, the candelabra lamp stands on a tripod base ending with three feet. The twisted st...
Iron
A Large Iron Candle Stick or Torchère This is a Tall Torchere
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Large Iron Candle Stick or Torchère This is a Tall Torchere, it takes 4 candles and will give height to spread the candle light source The stand is blacksmith made and very heavy,...
Iron
19th Century French Gothic Verdigris Flat Bottom Iron Eight-Light Chandelier
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a kitchen island or breakfast room with this elegant antique flat bottom light fixture. Forged in France, circa 1920 and rectangular in shape, the large chandelier has eight...
Iron
Vintage Gothic Lions Head Sconce
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This striking vintage wall sconce is a masterful blend of Hollywood Regency glamour and Gothic Revival theatricality. The fixture is anchored by a commanding cast metal lion’s head, ...
Brass
Vintage Gothic Gilt Lantern
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Make a dramatic architectural statement in your home with this monumental vintage Gothic Revival lantern. This commanding fixture features an open-cage design constructed from sturdy...
Iron
Early 20th Century French Gothic Twelve-Light Iron Chandelier with Gilt Accents
Located in Dallas, TX
Illuminate a dining room or entryway with this impressive round chandelier. Crafted in France circa 1920, the hand-forged wrought iron fixture features twelve lights arranged around ...
Wrought Iron
Nexus - double wall light
Located in Firenze, FI
A decorative LED wall fixture with a curved brass arm emerging from a central circular mount. The light is housed within vertical satin-finish glass tubes, radiating a soft, even glow. A blue enamel insert at the center echoes the collection's signature palette, evoking refined Art Deco accents and the elegance of a reimagined medieval torch.
Earthenware, Glass
Rustic French Medieval Chandelier, Hand-Forged Iron & Walnut, 1960
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Large French Medieval Rustic Chandelier This is a Large French Medieval style Rustic Chandelier, it is very heavy and hangs on a long chain, it has 6 hand-forged iron light sconces ...
Iron
$600Sale Price|24% Off
Gothic Pendant from the Magic Kingdom Collection
Located in Santa Barbara, CA
This authentic Wrought Iron Gothic Lantern was originally made for a theme park in Anaheim Ca. The intricate forged iron lantern is composed of over 50 individual handmade parts. ...
Iron
Pair Of Bronze Candlesticks, Late 18th/early 19th Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Pair of bronze candlesticks on a tripod base resting on lion's paws, and at the top, the point used to fix the candle Period late 18th early 19th century Wear from use, one of the ...
Bronze
Large Candelabra H257cm, Gothic Style, Early 19th Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Rare Gothic-style candelabra, in bronze and painted sheet metal with a green and gold patina The arms of light are distributed over the upper part but also in the center of the sh...
Metal, Bronze
Beautiful 1920s Gothic Wood Lantern
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautiful Gothic lantern, the patina of the wood is beautiful, the height of the light is with out the chain.
Metal
$2,800 / item
Gothic Form Steel Wall Lights
Located in New York, NY
Gothic form steel wall lights, 17 available.
Steel
Gothic Iron Castle Wall Light, Antique 19th Century Electric Fixture
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Large and Heavy Gothic Iron Castle Wall Light This wonderful piece is made in iron, it was originally powered by gas, it has now been converted to electricity We have added a large...
Iron
Set Of Eight Mediaeval Bronze Sconces, Great For A Wine Cellar. Priced per sconc
Located in Buchanan, MI
Set Of Eight Mediaeval Bronze Sconces, Great For A Wine Cellar. Priced per sconce. Original wirring.
Bronze
Pair of Large Twisted Hand-Forged Wrought Iron Wall Sconces
Located in Troy, NY
Large hand-forged twisted wrought iron wall sconces, timeless, bold and Stark appearance, exclusively designed for the Fortress, each sconce is individually hand-forged by local arti...
Iron
Pair of Early 20th Century Forged Polished Iron Wall Torchere Sconces
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a powder room or an entry way with this elegant pair of antiques wall torcheres lights. Crafted in France, circa 1920, each narrow fixture made...
Iron
$1,600 / set
St. Marks Gothic Wall Lantern
Located in Santa Barbara, CA
This wrought iron Gothic Lantern was made for a private chapel in France. We also made matching pendants that are availalble. The Bronze finish and Honey opal...
Wrought Iron
Large 19th Century Solid Bronze Gothic Lantern, Six Lights, Circular
Located in Stamford, CT
A 19th/Early 20th Century Solid Bronze Gothic Lantern, Six Lights. Circular Having fine bronze escutcheons This large and impressive lantern is ...
Bronze
Set of Four Neo-Gothic Iron Sconces, France, 1940s
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Large and unusual set of four Gothic inspired sconces displaying striking ironwork. Each sconce has three arms. Can be wired.
Stoneware Lamp with Gothic Face
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Ceramic lamp with a gothic face. Lamp measures 19" high from base to the bottom of socket and 10" diameter. Lamp has been professionally rewired for a 3-way light bulb. We also added...
Ceramic
$14,500 / set
Pair of Large Hand-Forged Wrought Iron Wall Sconces
Located in Troy, NY
Large, hand-forged wrought iron wall sconces, timeless, bold and stark appearance, exclusively designed by the Fortress, each sconce is individually hand-forged by local artisans; sm...
Iron
Large, Magnificent and Rare Gothic Revival Silver Plated Incense Burner
Located in London, GB
A magnificent and rare Gothic Revival, Byzantine influenced antique silver plated incense burner. The highly decorative bowl, set with many coloured glass cabochon and bearing the initials I H S a symbolic monogram of Christ, is suspended from a high domed crown on six sturdy chains. Beneath the bowl is a reversed crown terminating in a reversed ring...
Silver
Antique Gothic Renaissance Oscar Bach Style Bronze Paw Foot Pole Floor Lamp
By Artistic Brass & BZ Wks NYC
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Please message us with your zip code to request a more reasonable domestic U.S. shipping quote. Antique French Gothic Renaissance Oscar Bach Style Bronze Paw Foot Pole Floor Lamp by...
Bronze
Farm House Tole Hollywood Regency Chandelier with Murano Shades Italy 1980s
By Koegl
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Add a touch of opulence to your home with this charming Chandelier. Perfect verdigris colored parts to enhance any chic or eclectic home. We'd love to see it hanging in an entryway o...
Metal
An Interesting Early 20th Century Gilt Bronze and Crystal “Grotesque” Chandelier
Located in Long Island City, NY
An Interesting Early 20th Century Gilt Bronze and Crystal Twenty Six Light “Grotesque” Chandelier A unique Gothic Style, drop crystal, basket chandelier with different “Grotesque” faces and designs. Twenty four tiered perimeter lights (including 6 lanterns) and two tiered interior lights. Artists began to give the tiny faces of the figures in grotesque decorations strange caricatured expressions, in a direct continuation of the medieval traditions of the drolleries in the border decorations or initials in illuminated manuscripts. From this the term began to be applied to larger caricatures, such as those of Leonardo da Vinci, and the modern sense began to develop. It is first recorded in English in 1646 from Sir Thomas Browne: “In nature there are no grotesques”. By extension backwards in time, the term became also used for the medieval originals, and in modern terminology medieval drolleries, half-human thumbnail vignettes drawn in the margins, and carved figures on buildings (that are not also waterspouts, and so gargoyles) are also called “grotesques”. A boom in the production of works of art in the grotesque genre, characterized the period 1920–1933 of German art. In contemporary illustration art, the “grotesque” figures, in the ordinary conversational sense, commonly appear in the genre grotesque art...
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
Nexus - wireless table lamp
Located in Firenze, FI
Compact and sculptural, this wireless lamp features a circular brass base and a curved arm that encloses a vertical satin-finish glass LED light source. A blue enamel accent punctuat...
Brass
4 Lights Gothic Style Wrought Iron Chandelier
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This nice gothic style chandelier is made of wrought iron with 4 lights. This is a French work. Circa 1940
Iron
Nautical Boat Ship Chandelier Wrought Iron Venetian Cocca Anseatica, circa 1900
Located in Firenze, Toscana
Housing 2 lights. Will be rewired with certified UL US sockets for the USA and appropriate sockets for all other countries and ready to hang. One of a kind ship. Wrought iron with in...
Wrought Iron
Gothic Style Tole Hollywood Regency Chandelier with Murano Shades Italy 1980s
By Koegl
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Add a touch of opulence to your home with this charming Chandelier. Perfect black and gilded colored parts to enhance any chic or eclectic home. We'd love to see it hanging in an ent...
Metal
$3,750 / item
Antique Chandelier, Gothic Style
Located in Atlanta, GA
Unusual iron French Gothic style two-light chandelier with shades, great for over kitchen island or billiard table. Four available. The fixture is 58 inches long x 48 inches wide wit...
Iron
A Superb 7 Arm Gothic Bronze Wall Sconce A very handsome piece
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Superb 7 Arm Gothic Bronze Wall Sconce A very handsome piece, the wall candelabra is made in bronze and is very Gothic in design. The lamp has 7 branches and a shield back plate ...
Bronze
French 20th Century Large Wrought‑Iron Medieval Revival Wall Lamp with Sword
Located in Meulebeke, BE
A striking and imaginative example of mid‑20th‑century French medieval revival design, this large wall lamp transforms a wrought‑iron sword into a dramatic lighting feature. Crafted ...
Wrought Iron
French 19th Century Brass Altar Candlestick Lamp and Shade
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
An antique brass altar candlestick from 19th century France, that has been converted into an electrified lamp. This gorgeous fixture i...
Brass
Eraly 1900 Handcrafted Gothic Art Four Arm Winged Dragon Pendant Light
Located in Lisse, NL
Good size and hand-carved Gothic Revival chandelier. This handcrafted medieval chandelier comes with four arms and on the end of each arm there is a mean looking and well carved dr...
Glass, Wood