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 French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
1930s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Metal
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Murano Glass
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Faience
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tin
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
1920s Spanish Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Copper
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Pine
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
Early 2000s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper
Early 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ebony, Oak
Mid-19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
1930s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Textile, Silk
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Gold
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Siena Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wool
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Dutch Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stucco, Paint
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metallic Thread
1870s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Cotton, Silk
Late 18th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ironstone