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-19th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut, Poplar, Walnut, Fir
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Enamel
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver, Other
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Chestnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1650s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Gold, Brass
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Majolica
Late 20th Century Pakistani Renaissance Furniture
Wool
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1940s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1890s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Leather
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fir
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Agate, Gold, Enamel, Silver
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood
Late 19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Textile, Wool, Silk
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Linen, Walnut
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut