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.
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Late 17th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Linen, Walnut
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
Early 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paint
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Oak
15th Century and Earlier German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Renaissance Furniture
Wood
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Agate, Gold, Enamel, Silver
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Oak
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
Early 1600s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk, Velvet
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool
Late 18th Century Greek Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-17th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Boxwood
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Paint
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sandstone
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Chinese Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Paper
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Wood