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.
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
1840s Danish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1840s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Wood
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Copper, Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
Early 17th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Elm
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
2010s Chinese Renaissance Furniture
Wool
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Late 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1870s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Other
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sheet Metal
15th Century and Earlier European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s American Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paper
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Agate, Silver
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Other
1630s Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paper
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Statuary Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Blown Glass
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Granite, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Silver
19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
20th Century German Renaissance Furniture
Silver