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.
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Iron
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Limestone, Carrara Marble
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Travertine
1780s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Wood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sandstone
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
1830s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
1880s Swedish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Brass, Iron, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Renaissance Furniture
Aluminum
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Renaissance Furniture
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1890s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 2000s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Walnut
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
19th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Giltwood, Paint
1870s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Wool
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1690s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Gold
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver