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.
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metallic Thread
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper, Enamel
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1860s American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
Early 19th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fruitwood, Pine
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
1930s Dutch Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Murano Glass
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
1930s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Beech, Birch, Birdseye Maple, Walnut, Lacquer
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Velvet
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paint
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Silk
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1910s German Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware, Maiolica
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metallic Thread
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Resin, Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Iron
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
1690s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Ivory, Felt
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Brass
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper