Renaissance Furniture
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.
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Enamel, Bronze
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tortoise Shell
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Metallic Thread
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Paint
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
17th Century Greek Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tin
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1970s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Suede, Fabric, Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Gold Leaf, Gold
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
1890s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Cotton
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Suede
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica, Paint
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1940s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Cotton
Late 19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Art Glass, Murano Glass, Mirror
1930s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Metal
16th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Fir
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk, Velvet