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 French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paint
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Enamel
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Fabric
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Faience
1870s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
1840s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tin
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Velvet, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Walnut