16th Century Furniture

A remarkable early French oak sideboard dating to around 1550, displaying the quiet power, authenticity, and time‑worn beauty that define true rustic antiques. Crafted nearly five ce...

Beautiful weathered oak winged angel head Renaissance ornament. France, 16/ 17th century. Weathered Measurements include the wooden pedestal.

16th Century Leaf from Medieval Gregorian Chant Liturgical Sheet Music On Vellum. This early leaf of liturgical sheet music is handwritten in Gothic Blackletter on vellum. It is no...

Renaissance Wind Cosmology Woodcut with Globe & Elemental Winds, 1590 This striking late 16th-century German woodcut page originates from an early ency...

A Rare 16th-Century Ko-Bizen Stoneware Jar: A Masterpiece of Muromachi-Period Art This exceptional stoneware jar dates back to the late Muromachi period (16th century), a golden era...

Impressive 16th century Prison Door from Grasse, France. Soundly constructed from in oak and hand forged iron hinges, bolts and lock. Serves perfectly as an entry to a wine cellar ...

This piece is an old Tokoname ware jar produced in the Tokoname region of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is believed to date from the Momoyama period to the early Edo period (late 16th ...

Stunning oak statue of Saint John the Evangelist. France circa 1550-1650 , Beautiful weathered oak. Christian tradition says that John the Evangelist was John the Apostle. He was on...

This Bizen ware jar was fired in the Bizen region of Okayama Prefecture. Bizen ware is one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns and is known as one of the oldest pottery styles in Japan. Its...

A very impressive Westphalian Gothic chest or ‚Stollentruhe’, Westphalia, Germany, circa 1500-1550. Wrought iron mounted oak, partially carved. The monumental rectangular standing ch...

This 16th century Aubusson (French) tapestry is remarkably still vibrant and in wonderful antique condition. Its original border is completely intact and designed with florals, folia...

This is a Chinese handcrafted porcelain provincial jar or vase, all hand painted in cobalt blue and dating to the Ming period of the early 16th century or possibly earlier. The jar ...

16th century Italian oil painting of Madonna and Child framed with 17th century Italian fragments and adorned with natural-forming amber. The painting is a depiction of the Virgin Ma...

Antique print titled ''Ernestus Ferreus Arch'. **Ernest the Iron (1377-1424)** Background: Ernest the Iron, also known as Ernst der Eiserne, was a member of the House of Habsburg....

Versatile small 3 drawer chest circa 1970's very clean condition dovetail drawers .

A refined sixteenth century Brussels tapestry fragment showcasing stylized fruit and foliage in a beautifully aged palette of soft sand beige warm wheat tan golden taupe muted olive ...

A rare 16th Century Italian stone Corinthian half-capital, carved in Ligurian slate, mounted on a simple wrought iron bracket for wall hanging.

Antique print Hungary titled 'Contrafehtung der Festung Tokay'. Birds eye view of the fortress Julaof Tokay, Hungary, surrounded with Turkish troops. Originates from a German edi...

This is a very old Japanese wooden Buddhist sculpture. It is believed to date back to the Muromachi period (14th–16th century) and has quietly existed alongside people’s prayers for ...

France / 16th century / Chest / oak / Gothic A remarkable French Gothic oak chest dating from the 16th century, showcasing intricate hand-carved detailing throughout its façade. The...

16th Century Period Renaissance Tuscan Walnut Credenzino Italian 16th/17th century Renaissance walnut small Credenza with a rectangular top above a single drawer centered over a s...

France / 16th century / bridal or blanket chest / oak / Gothic This impressive chest was hand-carved in solid oak in the 16th century in France. The construction is typical of very...

Belgium / 19th Century / cupboard / oak / Neo-gothic / Antique Flamboyant gothic style cupboard with 4 doors, handcrafted in Belgium. We found this exceptional piece in the Belgian...

RENAISSANCE BED in molded walnut with carved oval friezes and corner columns topped with Antique-style vases. The rectangular headboard features a moving pediment adorned with a shel...

This piece is an Iga ware jar fired around the 16th century, during the late Muromachi period to the Momoyama period. Iga ware is pottery produced in the Iga region of Mie Prefectur...

This impressive large Stollentruhe, also known as a Stollentroewe, is a large German storage chest crafted around 1580. Its distinctive construction, with massive upright corner post...

Antique Tudor/Elizabethan oak six plank boarded coffer/sword chest, circa 1540. The coffer from the period of King Henry VIII having a hinged lid enclosing a storage area lined with...

16th Century Brussels Tapestry Great condition beautiful color and design

Celadon glaze on heavy thick stoneware with incised prunes leaf decoration. Baluster form with long neck. Top of rim unglazed and likely cut down slightly.

AN EXCEPTIONAL SPANISH COLONIAL VARGUEÑO OR BARGUEÑO, tortoiseshell, ebony, engraved ivory and Colonial hardwood, Spain, late 16th / early 17th century (cabinet) An exceptional and ...

Belgium / 16th Century / cabinet / oak / Antique / Rustic Primitive Antique cabinet in full oak. Hand crafted and carved in the 16th Century in Belgium. Crafted from blond solid oak...

16th century / Belgium / Letter Panel / Oak / Gothic A finely carved Gothic oak panel from 16th-century France. This architectural fragment features graceful vertical fluting framed...

The eroded surface of this petite, Ming-dynasty medicine jar tells a story of trade, tradition and lost treasure. A matte texture and traces of marine life suggest the jar spent many...

A Rare Ducal "Armada" Strongbox (Travelling Safe) wrought iron with original polychrome painted decoration, Nuremberg, late Renaissance, late 16th / early 17th century An exceptionally rare and highly original late-Renaissance Nuremberg iron...

Rare Venetian 16th century Italian traveling jewelry chest profusely decorated in Arabesque black and gilt decoration featuring rare specimen stone drawer fronts in a Palladian archi...

Renaissance cabinet from Burgundy Or Lyon Region Origin : Burgundy Or Lyon, France Period : Second Half 16th Century, C. 1580 Height : 209cm Length : 184cm Depth : 71cm Good condition Walnut wood, original keys and keyholes Around the middle of the 16th century the conception and ornamentation of French furniture evolves. The start of major building projects, such as the castle of Fontainebleau, gives artists a new impulse. Inventive and rich formulas are developed there, before spreading to all of Europe thanks to engravings and printed leaflets. Furthermore, Italian artists working on such construction sites bring French artists and patrons a renewed taste for the Antique. Regarding the art of furnitures, the most complex scenes and figures are drawn from illustrated books, ornament and emblem compendiums and engraving compilations. Rather than copying those images the artisans feed their inspiration and decline the motifs in numerous variations. The ornamental grammar marks a return to the Antique : palm leaf, acanthus, egg-and-dart, greek, scroll, fluted pilaster… It is in Primaticcio’s and Il Rosso’s stuccos made around 1540-1550 that we have to look for the origin of leather cut-outs, masks, chimaeras, harpies, sheathed figures, fruit and flower garlands that soon enrich every pieces of French furniture. The structure of the pieces of furniture also evolve thanks to the re discovery of Antique architectures, rigorously used as a model. This cabinet presents an imposing structure and a rich and original decor exemplifying the production of the late 16th century, infused with Italian, Antique and Fontainebleau influences. It stands on a moulded base ornate with palm leaves. It opens with four door-leaves and two drawers in the belt. Six whimsical terms divide the facade. The lower body is horizontally divided by three sheathed female terms. The two standing on the lateral posts are topped with fruits while the body is covered by acanthus leaves carved with precision, belted at the waist. The term standing on the central door-jamb is crowned with laurel leaves and is draped in the Antique fashion. A wincing mask hides the key hole. The two door-leaves are centred by a beautiful mask carved in a strong relief. They wear stylised feathered headdress and are set on draperies. Straps, leather scrolls, acanthus leaves and a shell are spread around the masks. The recessed panels are secured in frames ornate with acanthus leaves. The belt is flanked by two large mouldings enriched with variations of acanthus leaves. The drawers are carved with choux bourguignons and palm leaf motifs minutely executed. The consoles between each drawer bear tormented wincing masks, showing horns as if they were fauns or imps. The upper body is framed by two male terms characterised by a strong and nervous musculature, their manhood hidden by drapes secured thanks to a winged lion head. The term on the left appears to be younger and is wincing while the one on the right has a beard. The central female term brings contrast with her youth and sensuality. As it is the case on the lower body, the key hole is hidden behind the mouth of a faun’s mask placed on the drapes barely covering the intimacy of the caryatid. The panels of the upper body present an idealised architecture comprising pilasters and sinuous broken pediments. The pilasters are flanked by two satyrs with goat legs. In the centre appears an important lion mask. The terms of the upper body support the cornice. The entablature carries palm leaves and roses alternating as well as an egg-and-dart frieze. The cornice is adorned with acanthus motifs. On the sides, the carving is executed flat. A central rose is surrounded by scrolls, flowers and choux bourguignons. We can admire the variety of the elements employed. The artist vary with great genius many different ornamental motifs : palm leaf, egg-and-dart, laurel leaf, roses, scrolls … But the artist went even further as each profile and each face is individualised and presents different features. You can take a look at the faces of the satyrs flanking the upper body’s panels. The talent of the artist is undeniable. It makes no doubt the patron who commissioned this cabinet was an aesthete looking for the greatest quality. The artist who authored this cabinet had a great mastery of composition both in the general design and in the individual panels. They probably drew inspiration from engravings and drawings made especially for the making of this piece of furniture or not. They seem to be familiar with the style of Jacques Androuet du Cerceau. Indeed, we can find in Du Cerceau’s engravings the same juxtapositions of leather cut-outs, masks and fruits. The terms and caryatids used on the facade could very well be inspired by his work as well. The cabinet-maker was also undoubtedly observant of Hugues Sambin, the most famous cabinet-maker and sculptor in the Burgundy of the time. Like Du Cerceau, Sambin left an important ensemble of models particularly useful for the design of cabinets. His publication De l’Oeuvre de la diversité des termes dont on use en architecture (1572) was an essential book for every artisan. All the motifs testify of the artisan’s high knowledge of forms as well as the precision of their tools : super imposition of ornamental elements, foliages, architectural cut-outs, flat and high reliefs alternating, palm leaves inscribed in circular spaces, wincing faces. It is also a testimony of the artisan’s familiarity with Italian and Fontainebleau productions. Because of the proficiency of the cabinet-maker in so many different models, this cabinet truly is a master-piece authored by the hand of an authentic master. The generous carvings executed with great rigour and virtuosity evoke an origin close to Burgundy and Lyon workshops. This cabinet was made by a master of the region during the Second French Renaissance. Literature BOCCADOR Jacqueline, Le mobilier français du Moyen-Âge à la Renaissance, Édition d’art Morelle Mayot, 1996 BOS Agnès (dir.), Mobilier du Moyen âge et de la Renaissance, La collection du musée du Louvre, Louvre éditions...

Rare and impressive PERIOD Elizabethan dining table of substantial size. The top is made from four planks, and is banded at the ends to prevent shrinkage. The apron is hand carved ...

As soon as 1540 France's second Renaissance is in the making, intimately linked to the rediscovery of the Antique world. The development of the printing and engraving industry allows the spread of artworks and models in many cities and countries. The Italian influence can be perceived in every artistic field. While the French king entrust the most talented Italian artists with major projects such as Il Rosso or Primaticcio in Fontainebleau, French artists also travel to Italy to form themselves to this new style. In Italy they get acquainted with the work of Leo Battista Alberti the first to theorize perspective (De Pictura, 1435-36) and architecture (De re oedificatoria, 1541). Those two publications would have a revolutionary impact on arts. Furniture is marked by the work of the most famous Italian architects of the time as well as French architects. Indeed Philibert de l'Orme competes with Alberti and by the end of his life publishes several treaties including one devoted to a theory of architecture (1567). Unfortunately he would not live to complete the second volume. In this treaty he expresses his interest for mathematical norms applied to architecture, copied from the Antique. His journeys in Italy allowed him to accumulate the most sophisticated references. Jean Bullant, another architect of great talent also theorizes his practice. He establishes rules characterizing Greco-Roman art staying faithful to Vitruvius. Following this new inspiration the structure of furniture evolves. From then on appear columns, capitals, cornices, friezes and architraves. The ornamentation uses this inspiration as well with egg-and-dart, palm leaf and rose adorning the most beautiful pieces. In Lyon, crossroad where meet merchants from everywhere those new experiments are welcomed. Lyon florishing printing industry allows the spreading of models and treaties essential to the artist's work. Thus the first publication of Vitruvius' De Architectura in France would be printed in Lyon in 1532. Artists from Lyon rediscover and familiarize themselves with the Antique knowledge very early. They adopt those new ideas and use them in their own creations. Lyon cabinet-makers re interpret Antique architecture and Italian Renaissance palaces to give their pieces a pure and harmonious architectural structure. Grooved pilasters are particularly favored. They are topped by capitals of diverse orders always respecting the sequencing with simpler ones for the lower levels and the richest ones on the higher levels. As for the ornamentation, one of the great distinctiveness of Lyon workshops remains the architectural perspective illusions, drawing inspiration from Tuscany. True masterpiece of the Second French Renaissance this important cabinet illustrates Lyon workshops' taste for fine Italian architecture inspired by Antiquity. An architectural perspective of great quality is treated in symmetry on each panel. This two-bodied cabinet without recess stands on four rectangular feet. The base comprises a molding, a palm leaf frieze and is bordered by a braid. The lower body is divided by three grooved pilasters with Tuscan capitals framing two door-leaves. The two panels are encircled by a moudled frame with palm leaves. They are finely carved with a decor of fantasized architecture depicting an Italian Renaissance palace erected symmetrically on each side of a grooved pilaster. On the ground floor a door opens through a stilted arch while the stories are opened with mullioned windows, dormers and occuli. Two large pegged-boss cladded pillars support the entablature enriched by a palm leaf frieze upon which stands an arch whose coffered intrados is centred by a rose. Behind this arch a pyramid appears, standing in front of a second facade with a window topped by a broken curvilinear pediment under a cul-de-four with a shell. The checker flooring gives depth to the low-reliefs creating vanishing points structuring the panels and guiding the eye of the observer. A thin laurel braid highlights the belt of the cabinet where are located two drawers. Their facades are adorned by palm leaves in hoops. The upper body is encircled with palm leaves. The same ternary division as in the lower body appears. However, the pilasters are topped by Ionic capitals with volutes and egg-and-dart. The door-leaves are framed with flowers. On the panels the artist has designed another architectural decor. On the foreground open two arches on top of grooved pilasters with rectangular capitals adorned with palm leaves. The arches are enriched with braids and the coffered intrados bears a decor of roses. The spandrels also bear a flower decor. In the background another arcature hosts a fluted grooved column topped with double basket acanthus capital, characteristic of Corinthian order. The triangular pediment is interrupted by a choux bourguignon. A large cornice crowns the cabinet. It stands on pilasters and forms an entablature comprising a palm leaf frieze and an egg-and-dart, triglyph and palm leaf cornice. The cabinet's sides have also been carefully considered. The lower body's panels are enriched with an arch rising above a broken pediment portico hosting a twisted column. Flowers garnish the spandrels. An architectural facade completes the decor. The upper body's panels present two arches supported by a facade opened with dormers and mullioned windows as well as cartouches (one bears the inscription 1580 dating the cabinet) suggesting the interior of an Italian Renaissance palace, confirmed by the chandeliers. The flooring leads our gaze to a second arch with a broken curvilinear pediment where stands a flower vase. This arch opens onto a perspective of another facade along a road. Inside the cabinet, on the lower body door-leaves appear two designs. On the right door is depicted a Crucifixion. Saint Mary and Saint John flank the Christ on the cross. In the bottom part is inscribed « Dure uiator abis nihil haec spectacula curas / Pendenti cum sis unica cura Deo. / Tota suo moriente dolet natura Magistro. / Nil qui solus eras caussa dolenda doles. ». The signature [Christoff Swartz Monachiensis pinx[it] / Ioa[nnes] Sadeler sculp[it]] tells us it was made by Johan Sadeler I (1550-1600) after Christoph Schwartz (1548-1592). This engraving belongs to an ensemble depicting the Passion of Christ Johan Sadeler executed in 1589 after an altar piece painted by Christoph Schwartz for the private chapel of Renée of Loraine, wife of Duke William V of Bavaria. This altar piece made of nine copper panels has been destroyed during the 19th century. The Crucifixion panel once in the centre of the altar piece is the only one that survived and is today kept in Munich's Alte Pinakothek. On the left door appears Saint Francis receiving the stigmata. The inscription says : « Signastidomine Servum Tuum. Franciscum. Signis Redemptionis Nostrae ». This Renaissance cabinet with an architectural decor appearing as much in the structure faithful to Antique rules...

An exceptional and visually arresting set of twelve early playing cards, dating to the late 16th century and originating from Austria. Executed in traditional woodblock print and delicately hand-painted, this rare group beautifully reflects the transition from the Late Gothic period into the Early Renaissance in Central Europe. Each card displays remarkable period detail, particularly in the finely rendered court figures dressed in late 15th-century attire- short doublets and jerkins, tight hose, puffed and slashed sleeves, feathered caps, and stylized armor elements. The costumes embody the expressive elegance of Late Gothic fashion while hinting at the emerging Renaissance aesthetic north of the Alps. The surviving hand-coloring- earthy reds, deep blues, muted greens, and warm ochres- enhances the strong linear quality of the woodcut technique. The natural wear, surface patina, and scattered losses visible in the images attest to the cards’ age and authentic use, adding to their historical character and collectible appeal. The sizes of the cards are irregular. The set includes a mix of pip and court cards, with beautifully stylized suit symbols and dynamic figural compositions. The expressive faces and exaggerated silhouettes are characteristic of 16th-century Austrian and Southern German printmaking traditions. Accompanied by an antique wooden storage box...

A rare 16th century Flemish Verdure Feuilles de Choux tapestry. Feuilles de Choux (cabbage leaves in French) tapestries include large leav...

16th century / Belgium / Letter Panel / Oak / Gothic A finely carved Gothic oak panel from 16th-century France. This architectural fragment features graceful vertical fluting framed...

Valuable ancient noble 16th century, Italy Ligurian carved oak and chestnut credenza Bambocci, sideboard with display cabinet. All original with exception ...

An elegant fine stoneware bottle vase with underglaze blue painted decoration depicting stylized flowers and foliage in a style typical of Vietnamese production from Chu Đậu (Hải Dươ...

A RARE RENAISSANCE WALNUT CABINET WITH ITS FREESTANDING CARVED COLUMNS ORIGIN : FRANCE, BURGUNDY PERIOD : 16th CENTURY Height : 218 cm Length : 152 cm Depth : 67.5 cm Walnut Thi...

A truly exceptional pair of Memento Mori 'remember you must die' painted on board, these date to the 16th century and were originally housed in an North Italian Monastery, this incre...

This beautiful authentic Italian dining table dates back to the 16th century and is crafted from walnut wood. A true eye-catcher for lovers of genuine antiques and interiors full of ...

A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...

Antique 16th Century Carved Wood Reliquary Table Lamp, a stunning piece that seamlessly blends history with functionality. This magnificent reliqu...

An Elizabethan oak carved refectory table dating back to 1580. This table is an extremely rare and fine example showcasing the highest quality o...

Great pair of very old wrought iron candleholders. Unique pieces, Spain circa 1500-1700. Weathered. H:68-78cm W:19-23cm

Elizabethan , Joined Oak , Court Cupboard Circa 1600 . Elizabethan carved cup and cover columns , original candle shelf , two upper doors and central panel beautifully inlaid with ho...

Japanese Koto Wakizashi Sword Japan Ca. 1400-1600s Length: 24.25” Blade Total Length: 27.25 Nagasa: 18.5” Koto wakizashi, with wild midare (Soshu?) hamon, including wild boshi. Hada indeterminate, with Shakudo & gold dragon menuki, beehive design fuchi kashira...

Rare late 15th or early 16th century Mudejar tile of the so-called ‘Arista’ or 'cuerda seca' technique. The central motif is an eight-pointed star, which in turn encloses smaller on...

16th century lost wax cast bronze Venugopala form of Krishna, India The Venugopala form of Krishna playing the flute is to Vaishnavite iconography what Nataraja is to the Shaivites:...

Sensational French antique fireplace surround for the connoisseur. Late 16th - early 17th century period chateau fireplace surround in great authent...

Ortelius Asia Japan China Taiwan Philippines East Indies Antique Map 1570 This highly important early map of Asia titled “Indiae Orientalis Insularumque Adiacientium Typus” is one of the most influential 16th-century European depictions of East and Southeast Asia. Published by Abraham Ortelius for his groundbreaking atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, this map presents a sweeping geographical vision of the Far East before the full penetration of the Dutch into the region. It covers India, Indochina, China, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, the East Indies or Spice Islands, New Guinea, and parts of the western Pacific. Ortelius was the first European cartographer to name Formosa (modern Taiwan), marking a milestone in Western geographic knowledge of Asia. Japan appears in its famous early “kite-shaped” form, shown as a large oval island...

Set of Spanish tiles of the 'dos por tabla/ type in the Arista y cuenca tile made in Toledo. This particular type was to adorn ceilings. Tile decorated in renaissance with stylized ...

This magnificent 16th-century German two-hand sword is a rare and historically important ceremonial weapon, hand crafted by renowned blade-smith Christoph Stantler (active circa 155...

A rare and beautifully preserved 15th-century German crossbow, created as a true weapon of war or defense,.This piece is a remarkable survival from the Gothic period, with all of its...

Title: Limburgum Oppidum Galliae Belgicae, vulgo Lympurch, gallicè, Lembor Dr. Type: Print (Copper Engraving) Circa 1580 Technique: Colored Copper Engraving Medium: Handmade Paper S...