The decadence of the Baroque style, in which ornate furnishings were layered against paneled walls, painted ceilings, stately chandeliers and, above all, gilding, expressed the power of the church and monarchy through design that celebrated excess. And its influence was omnipresent — antique Baroque furniture was created in the first design style that truly had a global impact.
Theatrical and lavish, Baroque was prevalent across Europe from the 17th to mid-18th century and spread around the world through colonialism, including in Asia, Africa and the Americas. While Baroque originated in Italy and achieved some of its most fantastic forms in the late-period Roman Baroque, it was adapted to meet the tastes and materials in each region. French Baroque furniture informed Louis XIV style and added drama to Versailles. In Spain, the Baroque movement influenced the elaborate Churrigueresque style in which architecture was dripping with ornamental details. In South German Baroque, furniture was made with bold geometric patterns.
Compared to Renaissance furniture, which was more subdued in its proportions, Baroque furniture was extravagant in all aspects, from its shape to its materials.
Allegorical and mythical figures were often sculpted in the wood, along with motifs like scrolling floral forms and acanthus leaves that gave the impression of tangles of dense foliage. Novel techniques and materials such as marquetry, gesso and lacquer — which were used with exotic woods and were employed by cabinetmakers such as André-Charles Boulle, Gerrit Jensen and James Moore — reflected the growth of international trade. Baroque furniture characteristics include a range of decorative elements — a single furnishing could feature everything from carved gilded wood to gilt bronze, lending chairs, mirrors, console tables and other pieces a sense of motion.
Find a collection of authentic antique Baroque tables, lighting, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
French 18th Century Solid Oak Carved Coffer
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A French, solid oak coffer from the 1700s, the heavy storage trunk has a paneled construction graced by various hand-carved patterns such as roses along the upper trim, and more abst...
Iron
18th Century Dutch Baroque Style Pine Mule Blanket Chest
Located in Rio Vista, CA
A handsome 18th century carved pine blanket chest in the Dutch baroque style with a paneled façade and storage space. Crafted in a rustic Baroque alpine Central European style, likel...
Iron
$2,320Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century Baroque Revival Carved Wooden Blanket Chest
Located in Vero Beach, FL
19th Century baroque revival carved wooden blanket chest. Elaborately carved wood chest in superb quality. Floral motif in relief on all sides....
Fruitwood
Antique Scandinavian Pine Baroque Folk Art Carved Dowry Chest Trunk Coffer 1780
Located in Portland, OR
A very good antique Scandinavian carved Baroque Folk Art dowry chest, Circa 1780. The chest having a gently domed top with a hinged lid having the original 'snipe' hinges, the edge ...
Pine
$5,850Sale Price|25% Off
17th Century Spanish Baroque Carved Walnut Blanket Chest
Located in Stamford, CT
17th century Spanish Baroque wedding cassone, the walnut surface hand carved with architectural designs, arches, geometric and floral motifs throughout...
Walnut
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
16/1700s Primitive Antique Trunk / Treasure Chest, Rustic, Oak, Wabi Sabi
Located in Skien, NO
Lovely Size -- Transport yourself to the past with this extraordinary PRIMITIVE Norwegian antique wooden trunk, dating back to the 1600s or 1700s. Meticulously handcrafted from solid...
Iron, Brass
Antique 17th C Italian Leather Pine & Brass Stud Work Carriage Chest Trunk 1680
Located in Portland, OR
Antique Italian late 17th century leather on pine carriage chest/trunk, with brass stud-work, circa 1680. This rare survivor from the late baroque period of the 1600s was made in th...
Brass
18th Century Italian Baroque Cassone or Chest
Located in Winter Park, FL
A fine 18th century Italian Rennaissance style Baroque cassone, or marriage chest, made of solid walnut. Bold details are hand carved in high relief and include a central panel with ...
Walnut
17th Century Swedish Baroque Chest
Located in Allerum, SE
17th century Swedish Baroque pine Chest / Trunk with an coat of arms and iron details with engravings. Dated 1668, Sweden.
Pine
$5,550
Italian Baroque Cassone
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a beautiful example of an early Minimalist 17th century Italian Cassone that would integrate seamlessly into a Gothic inspired design. The cassone is in overall good conditio...
Walnut
17th Century Spanish Baroque Carved Oak and Iron Chest With Original Key
Located in Stamford, CT
17th century Spanish or Spanish Colonial oak chest with wrought iron hinges and mounts, original key and working lock. The front panel with chip carved surface, scalloped gardrooning...
Iron, Wrought Iron
$1,879 / set
Baroque Chest, 18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Baroque chest from the early 18th century, crafted from oak. The front is richly carved with decorative motifs and structured with architectural niche elements. The handles and the l...
Iron
17th century English Two Panel Coffer
Located in Greenwich, CT
Good 17th century English oak two paneled coffer, the planked flat top over heavily carved stiles and rails, the two panels with carved arches, the whole with excellent color and pat...
Oak
19th Century Italian Renaissance Carved Walnut Cassone with Figural Detail
Located in Dallas, TX
This exceptional antique cassone, or dowry chest, was crafted in Italy circa 1830 from richly patinated walnut. Standing on five deeply carved scrolled feet, the base features a shap...
Walnut
$3,288Sale Price|20% Off
Majestic 17th Century Italian Solid Walnut Antique Blanket Chest
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Beautiful antique blanket chest in solid walnut wood, 1650s. The antique blanket chest also completely original and has great charm. Internally equipp...
Walnut
Chest in Oak with Carved Details and round Legs from 1920's
Located in Lejre, DK
Chest from the 1920s, crafted in oak with decorative carved details and round legs. Offers spacious storage and features typical period design. A solid antique piece in very good con...
Oak
17th Century Carved Oak Chest
Located in Allerum, SE
17th century Baroque carved oak chest / trunk with wrought iron handles and hinges. Ca 1650, Northern Europe.
Oak
Antique Oak Flat-Lidded Chest from 1691 Renaissance-early Baroque, 17th century
Located in Halle, DE
Antique flat-lidded chest from the 17th century. Renaissance / Early Baroque. Made in 1691 in oak wood. Until recently, the chest was owned for 333 years by a family of lawyers from ...
Oak
Antique 18th Century German Baroque Painted Walnut Iron Coffer Chest Trunk 1784
Located in Portland, OR
Antique German Baroque dome top painted walnut sea chest, dated 1784. The chest having a hinged dome top with iron strapping, the interior of the lid having hand-forged strap hinges and original hand-forged iron lock...
Iron
Cassone, 17th Century, Italian, Baroque, Vernacular, Walnut, Carved, Hearts
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
This handsome cassone has ornament with romantic associations and was most likely a marriage chest. It is a good example of the Italian vernacular, simple in a sophisticated manner. ...
Walnut
Provincial Spanish Oak Paneled Coffer, c.17th Century
Located in Savannah, GA
A provincial Spanish oak paneled coffer made circa the 17th century. Retaining original snipe hinge loops on carcass with later iron strap hinges and rose head nails. Pegged pane...
Oak
Walnut and Iron Chest, 17th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Rectangular chest with base and lid with moldings and iron fittings and corners in forge metal on a red cloth background made with stylized and simplif...
Iron
17th Century Spanish Carved Walnut Chest
Located in Rio De Janeiro, BR
This 17th-century Spanish carved walnut chest is an exquisite example of Baroque furniture, showcasing intricate craftsmanship and the rich aesthetic traditions of the period. Made f...
Walnut
Chest, Coffer, 17 Century, German, Baroque, Oak, Marquetry, Inlay, 30 cubic feet
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
This vernacular chest exudes character and charm. The moulded panels and inlay inject gravitas. It has a lovely mellow lustrous patina. It is unusual being large and providing a copi...
Oak
Mid 19th century profusely inlaid continental walnut dome coffer
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Beautiful inlaid dome top chest of the finest quality circa 1869. Inscribed on the front with the name 'gesche wulff' and dated 1869. Superbly inlaid in satinwood with urns, floral...
Oak, Walnut
Antique Italian Brass Wood Chest Trunk
Located in Carimate, Como
Beautiful Italian antique chest, trunk in great solid wood with blackened carved edges and frames, great original brass handles, escutcheons and decors on all sides, completed with t...
Brass
18th c Italian Carved Cassone with Dragon Decoration and Paw Feet
Located in Milford, NH
A fine hand carved cassone, probably in oak, with relief carved scrollwork dragons flanking a central shield adorning the front panel, carved figural corners, forged wrought iron str...
Wrought Iron
Chest, Cassone, 17th Century, Portuguese, Baroque, Brazil, Hardwood
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
This striking chest is made from a Brazilian hardwood which I have not been able to identify. The color and figuring of the timber together with the Classic form and ornamentation su...
Hardwood
Unusual Swiss Oak Rustic Table with Hinged Doors, 17th-18th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
Constructed entirely of a light oak, the table has a two board rectangular top above a conforming cabinet housing two hinged doors, the cabinet supported by trestle legs on elongated...
Oak
Baroque Flat-Lid Chest in Fir Wood, Hand-Carved, Germany, 18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Large rural flat-lid chest in fir wood, featuring a shaped apron, profiled front panels, and a flat hinged top. The front retains traces of its original polychrome decoration, likely...
Fir
Arcon Chest Coffer Leather Armorial Spanish Baroque Gilded Brass Studwork Domed
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
Rare, early 17th century, Spanish, leather, ‘Arcon’ or domed travelling coffer with a gilded armorial & ornamented with brass studwork. Surviving utalitarian pieces such as travel...
Leather
$1,295
Pine Trunk or Mule Chest
Located in Baltimore, MD
A trunk or blanket chest with a drawer at the bottom is known as a mule chest, probably because it is a cross between a blanket chest and a chest of drawers. This is a handsome one ...
Pine
Decorated Oak Baroque Storage Chest
Located in Kastrup, DK
German baroque storage chest or trunk in its original condition. Hand carved in oak with polychrome hand decorated facade. Top of panel with inscription "Christine Sophie Wilhelmien...
Iron
17th Century Oak Baroque Chest
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
A Baroque chest from the second half of the 17th century. Northern Germany/Netherlands. Solidly crafted in oak with a beautiful original patina finish. Chests like these were tradit...
Oak
18th Century Spanish Baroque Leather-Wrapped Coffer with Brass Accents
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Spanish Baroque leather-wrapped coffer brass accents from the 18th century. This antique Spanish coffer, with it's rectangular-shaped body, has been o...
Leather, Wood
Chest on Stand Rustic Brown Wood Brass Nail Heads
Located in New York, NY
Chest on Stand Rustic Wood Brass Nail Heads. A decorative chest on a stand decorated with brass nail heads.
Continental Antique Baroque Style Trunk
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Continental baroque style oak trunk, circa early 19th century. With a single board rectangular overhanging top with molded front and side edges, the front with a central carved panel...
Oak
Fine 18th Century Baroque Chinoiserie Chest
Located in Allerum, SE
Fine 18th century baroque chinoiserie chest, circa 1750, Sweden. The chest is wrapped in canvas that's been beautifully painted upon, this canvas can be seen in some places where...
Canvas, Pine
Arcon, Chest, Coffer, Leather, Spanish, Baroque, Brass Studwork, Domed, Travel
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
Exceptional, early 17th century, Spanish, leather, ‘Arcon’ or domed travelling coffer ornamented with brass studwork Surviving utalitarian pieces such as travelling coffers from t...
Leather
French Baroque 17th Century Iron Bound Leather Chest or Coffer
Located in Troy, NY
French Baroque 17th Century Iron Bound Leather Chest or Coffer. Decorative rare Coffer / Blanket Chest. Covered with the Original Leather and beautiful, Decorative Wrought Iron Work....
Wrought Iron
Late 18th-Century Chest, Veneered with Walnut and Austrian Ash
Located in Brussels, BE
Late 18th-Century Chest, Veneered with Walnut and Austrian Ash
Ash, Walnut
Italian Baroque Chip Carved Chest Marked FR from The Fortress, Troy, NY
Located in Milford, NH
A fine Italian Baroque chip carved chest with carved monogram FR on one side, front short spindle decoration, iron lock & hinges, and decorative carved feet. Acquired from The Fo...
Iron
Three Locks Chest, Walnut, Iron, Spain, 17th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Town hall chest. Walnut wood. XVII century. Rectangular carved chest of walnut wood, with a flat lid, and simple decoration on its fronts with smooth moldings of different widths. ...
Other, Iron
Chest Coffer Spanish Chip Carved Folk 18th Century Pine Ironwork Small 3ft long
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
- Rare small size, would work as a sofa or low table with the advantage of storage space - Characterful chip carving, ironwork and figuring injecting atmosphere into any interior - W...
Pine
18th Century German Baroque Chest
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
Original German baroque round-lidded chest from the 18th century. Made of solid oak wood and richly decorated with hand-forged fittings. Monogrammed with ‘BLSG’ and the year 1798. T...
Wrought Iron
17th Century Tuscan Cassapanca or Bench with a Family Crest
Located in Houston, TX
17th century Tuscan cassapanca Or Bench With A Family Crest. Stunning 17th century Tuscan cassapanca or hand decorated bench with a family crest. This lovely bench or hall bench has...
Wood
Chest, Walnut, Textile, Wrought Iron, 17th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
The shape of this chest, rectangular with flat top, is also the usual in this type of furniture since the Gothic in the Spanish school. It is necessary to highlight the importance that the typology has on Spanish Antique furniture...
Wrought Iron
Large Early Baroque Alpine Architecturally Inlaid Coffer/Chest
Located in Troy, NY
Large Early Baroque Alpine Architecturally Inlaid Coffer/Chest, the front featuring two arched panels inlaid with town scenes, the paneled top also inlai...
Pine, Fruitwood
Three Locks Trunk, Spain, circa 1600
Located in Madrid, ES
Trunk with three locks, made in wood, leather and wrought iron. This type of trunks and chest with three locks were very common in town halls. The decoration links the piece with the...
Wrought Iron
Chest Blanket Italian Europe 18th Century Wood Iron Italy
Located in New York, NY
Chest blanket Italian Europe 18th Century wood iron Italy. Blanket chest made during the 18th century in Europe. Decorated with metal and rounded nail heads. Original condition.
Iron
Chest Blanket Swedish Elm Veneer, 18th Century, Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Chest blanket Swedish elm veneer, 18th century, Sweden. A stunning blanket chest made during the 18th century in Sweden. Veneer in elm and elm root. Original finish and hardware. Rou...
Elm
"City Hall" Chest, Walnut, Wrought Iron, Castile Spain, 17th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
This type of "City Council" or "Council" is called by its three locks, each of which closes with its respective key. These furniture were used in any type of organization, religious ...
Wrought Iron
18th Century Spanish Studded Leather Chest
Located in Greenwich, CT
Very good Spanish 18th century studded leather chest, the domed lit with Arabesque design stud work, the front with two pierced brass clasps and ...
Brass
Antique Monumental German Carved Oak Baroque Marquetry Dowry Chest Coffer 1723
Located in Portland, OR
A rare & monumental antique German Baroque early 18th century dowry chest/coffer, named & dated 1723. The chest of a rare & unusual size, the top with a lift up lid with hand-forged ...
Iron
$32,889Sale Price|20% Off
Gorgeous Antique Italian Wooden Case, 18th Century 'Year 1753'
Located in Budapest, HU
Wedding chest, coming from a Florentine family, with a renaissance villa in Frascati, Italy. Totally handmade and composed of single pieces of wood, cut with a hatchet. Finely decora...
Wood
Chest in Oak wood with Carved Details Inlay fruitwood from 1860's
Located in Lejre, DK
Original chest from the 1860s, crafted in oak with hand-carved details and inlay work. A decorative and solid antique piece featuring characteristic craftsmanship from the period. Su...
Oak
Painted Folk Chest, Southern Germany, 18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Painted chest with a flat lid, iron fittings, and side handles. The paintwork is newly applied in the style of historical originals. Inside, the chest includes an additional small co...
Iron
Early 18th Century Antique Carved Oak Marriage or Dowry Chest, Dated 1735
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
A period 18th century flat top Danish Baroque dower chest or trunk in carved oak decorated with architectural porticos and dated 1735. Offers ori...
Oak
Antique late 18th century German Solid black Oak panelled trunk or coffer
Located in Casteren, NL
This exquisite chest was crafted in Germany in the latter half of the 18th century. Both the lid and the front of the chest feature two flat recessed panels surrounded by a subtle fr...
Steel
Baroque Domed Chest, First Half of the 18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
An Baroque domed chest crafted from oak, dating to the first half of the 18th century. The chest features intricate iron fittings and side handles, combining both decorative and func...
Iron