Renaissance Seating
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 1800s Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Leather, Walnut
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Seating
Iron
1920s European Vintage Renaissance Seating
Gold Leaf
19th Century Antique Renaissance Seating
Velvet, Walnut
2010s Renaissance Seating
Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
1920s Vintage Renaissance Seating
Mahogany
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Rush, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Gold Leaf
Early 18th Century European Antique Renaissance Seating
Wood
1930s Danish Vintage Renaissance Seating
Fabric, Velvet, Oak
Early 20th Century Renaissance Seating
Tapestry, Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Seating
Naugahyde, Oak
1870s French Antique Renaissance Seating
Wood
Early 17th Century European Antique Renaissance Seating
Oak
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Seating
Mahogany
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
1870s French Antique Renaissance Seating
Fruitwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Seating
Other
19th Century Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
Late 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Seating
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century Renaissance Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Seating
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut, Fabric
Early 18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Seating
Wood
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
Early 20th Century Renaissance Seating
Leather, Hardwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut, Leather
Early 20th Century Renaissance Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Seating
Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Seating
Bronze
17th Century Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
1890s French Antique Renaissance Seating
Tapestry, Upholstery, Oak
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Straw, Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
20th Century Italian Renaissance Seating
Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Seating
Wrought Iron, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Seating
Oak
1990s North American Renaissance Seating
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Seating
Brass
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Seating
Leather, Fabric, Walnut
1750s Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
Early 19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Seating
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Wood, Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Seating
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Seating
Fabric, Walnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Seating
Oak
19th Century Antique Renaissance Seating
Oak
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Renaissance Seating
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Seating
Leather, Oak