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.
19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 1800s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Gesso, Canvas
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
1870s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Other
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1830s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
1890s Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rock Crystal, Silver, Enamel
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1840s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Faux Leather, Walnut
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
1870s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1830s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Copper
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Velvet, Wood
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1890s Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
1850s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Leather
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze