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 Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Travertine, Marble
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Murano Glass
Mid-17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ebony, Oak
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Gold
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
1780s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Renaissance Furniture
Stone
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Brass, Iron, Wrought Iron
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut, Poplar, Walnut, Fir
Mid-20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Oak
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 18th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Clay, Terracotta
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Pine
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
1940s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Cotton
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
15th Century and Earlier German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Paint
15th Century and Earlier English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Velvet
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Greek Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tin
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metallic Thread