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.
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bone, Ebony
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Blown Glass
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 1600s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1840s Danish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rosewood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Alabaster, Wrought Iron
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Leather
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1890s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Oak
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Copper
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver, Enamel, Other
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Early 1600s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1920s Danish Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Rosewood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
1950s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Renaissance Furniture
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1650s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Breccia Marble
1850s Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
1840s Danish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
20th Century German Renaissance Furniture
Silver
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Ormolu
Early 20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Copper, Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
16th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
15th Century and Earlier European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 18th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut