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.
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Chinese Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Mirror
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Alabaster
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
1870s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1980s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Silk, Wool
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Silver Plate
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Paper
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
1920s German Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Paint
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Iron
1830s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Paper
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Copper
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Brass, Iron, Wrought Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
Late 18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Velvet, Wood
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Paint
1850s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Cotton
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Cast Stone