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.
17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Wool
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Steel
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rosewood
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Scandinavian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Cotton
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Ebony
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood, Paint
1920s German Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Paint
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 1600s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1930s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Travertine, Marble
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Lacquer
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper
Late 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Cotton, Silk
19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Dutch Renaissance Furniture
Oak
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak