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.
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
18th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Pine, Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
16th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk, Velvet
Mid-19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
15th Century and Earlier French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Glass, Walnut
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Oak
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Walnut
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1960s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Steel
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper, Giltwood
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1790s Greek Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
15th Century and Earlier German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Travertine
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold, Silver, Copper
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Silk