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.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
2010s American Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Early 1600s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1840s Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1840s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1930s Dutch Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Travertine, Marble
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ebony, Oak, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
15th Century and Earlier English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Paper
Mid-17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Alabaster
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper, Enamel
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metallic Thread
19th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
18th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
17th Century Greek Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tin
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-17th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble