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.
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Wood
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rush, Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
17th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Plaster
18th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Silver, Copper
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1910s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Early 1600s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Poplar
2010s American Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper, Enamel
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Pine
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
Mid-20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Marble, Brass, Bronze
1910s American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Pine
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary European Renaissance Furniture
Metal
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Copper
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Metal