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.
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fruitwood, Pine
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Late 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood, Glass
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Scrap Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Brass
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1920s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Pine
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut, Poplar, Walnut, Fir
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Oak
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1980s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1860s American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Gold
Early 1900s Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Mid-18th Century North American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Tin
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Cotton
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel