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.
Mid-20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Walnut
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Iron
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Paint
1680s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Paint
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century Greek Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Blown Glass
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Paint
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sandstone
Mid-20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century German Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Travertine
Mid-18th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Scandinavian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Cotton
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ebony
1880s Swedish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware, Maiolica
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Blown Glass
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Silk, Wool