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.
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
1910s German Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Oak
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Oak
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
17th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1890s Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rock Crystal, Silver, Enamel
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Boxwood
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Silk, Wool
Mid-17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pine
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Plaster
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pine
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Pine
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Maple, Walnut
17th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ivory
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut