Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
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.
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood, Paper
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Bronze
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
2010s French Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Silver
16th Century Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Other
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Enamel, Ormolu
20th Century French Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Walnut
2010s French Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Leather
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
2010s Dutch Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Marble
Early 2000s Portuguese Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Leather
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Other
2010s Portuguese Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Leather
2010s Italian Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Leather
17th Century English Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Oak
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
18th Century European Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood, Paper
18th Century European Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
20th Century European Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
20th Century Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood, Paper
20th Century Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Marble
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood, Walnut, Burl
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Oak
1990s Italian Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Giltwood
1870s German Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Boxwood
1910s German Vintage Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century European Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
20th Century Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Wrought Iron, Iron
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
19th Century Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Other
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
20th Century Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron, Wrought Iron
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Other
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Other
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
Mid-19th Century German Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Collectibles and Curiosities
Other