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.
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut, Poplar, Walnut, Fir
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
Mid-19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paper
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
1860s American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
1910s German Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Crystal
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sandstone
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
18th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware, Maiolica
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Zinc
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Statuary Marble
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
Early 1900s Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Onyx, Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Walnut
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Silver
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware, Maiolica
17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
Early 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pine
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metallic Thread
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze