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 Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Metal
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Onyx, Bronze
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper
Late 18th Century Balkan Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Murano Glass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1950s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Beech, Walnut
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mirror
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Steel, Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Plaster, Wood
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Gold
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Travertine
Early 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1610s Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 1900s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1840s Danish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Paper, Crayon
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Pine
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Early 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut