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.
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Onyx, Ormolu
Early 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
2010s Chinese Renaissance Furniture
Wool
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Alabaster, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Granite, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sheet Metal
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
2010s American Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paper
2010s American Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
2010s Chinese Renaissance Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Elm
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron, Bronze, Silver
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rock Crystal, Gold, Enamel
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut