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.
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Chinese Renaissance Furniture
Wool
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Enamel
17th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Wood
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Plaster
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1840s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Scagliola, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Fabric
20th Century German Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold, Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver, Enamel
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Textile, Wool, Silk
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paint, Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
20th Century German Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Giltwood
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Onyx, Marble
Mid-20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper, Enamel
19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Plaster
18th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Art Glass
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metallic Thread
Late 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak