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-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Alabaster
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Statuary Marble
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Silk, Wool
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Slate, Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Iron
Mid-19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Wool
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rock Crystal, Silver
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
1840s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk, Velvet
Early 18th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paint
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Faience
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Gold
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Paint
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood