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.
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
16th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1890s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
15th Century and Earlier Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fruitwood
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Silk, Wool
1880s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Walnut
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Wood, Paint
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 17th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
1910s English Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century German Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-18th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Pine
Early 1600s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk, Velvet
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 1600s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass, Steel
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Renaissance Furniture
Aluminum
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Murano Glass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica
Early 1900s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut, Poplar, Walnut, Fir
Mid-19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Renaissance Furniture
Aluminum
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Metal
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Silver
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut