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.
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Faux Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Velvet
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood
1870s Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Enamel
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ebony, Satinwood, Burl
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Ebony
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold, Silver, Copper
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 2000s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Gold
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Copper
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1990s French Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 1900s American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
18th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany, Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Paper
1970s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1870s Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Maple, Walnut
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary British Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
1970s American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Resin
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver, Other
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1990s American Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Zinc
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf