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.
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
1760s Norwegian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Early 17th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Mid-17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Faience
Early 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Wood
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
18th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
17th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
17th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1630s Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Softwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Travertine, Marble
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rosewood
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
Early 18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rosewood
Early 18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other, Bronze
Early 18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood