Renaissance Armchairs
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.
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Armchairs
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
1890s French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Leather, Oak
20th Century Italian Renaissance Armchairs
Wood
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Leather, Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
1890s Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 1700s French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Velvet, Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
1890s French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Leather, Oak
Mid-19th Century European Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut, Suede
20th Century Italian Renaissance Armchairs
Wood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Faux Leather, Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Armchairs
Wrought Iron
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Velvet, Walnut
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Armchairs
Mahogany
1870s Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Oak
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Brass
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Other
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Leather, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Other
1750s Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Suede, Fabric, Walnut
Early 19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Armchairs
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
Early 1800s Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Silk, Walnut
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
Early 20th Century Renaissance Armchairs
Tapestry, Wood
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Velvet, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Velvet, Walnut
Early 17th Century European Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Oak
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Metal, Other
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Iron
20th Century Spanish Renaissance Armchairs
Metal
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
Early 1600s Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
1870s French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Armchairs
Bronze
19th Century Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Fabric, Mahogany
1870s French Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Wood
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Armchairs
Leather, Walnut