Classical Roman Wall Decorations
During Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D., Pompeii and Herculaneum in today’s Italy were preserved as they were on the day of their destruction. Particularly at Herculaneum, furnishings were carbonized beneath volcanic ash. This was pivotal to understanding how Classical Roman furniture was designed. Archaeological investigations and printed reproductions of discoveries would influence styles evoking this ancient civilization, from the Renaissance to neoclassicism.
While knowledge of Classical Roman furniture comes from rare surviving pieces, it is also derived from frescoes and sculptures portraying Roman life. Much of Roman art, architecture and design was informed by Greece — Roman architect, military engineer and writer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, whose timeless De architectura is taught in contemporary architecture classes and pays tribute to classical architecture, visited Greece while working under Julius Caesar and admired the country’s architectural developments. The Roman solium references the Greek thronos, a stately chair of honor with an upright form and footstool. As the Roman Empire spread across Europe and into North Africa and Western Asia, the expansion of trade for silver, silk, marble and wood allowed for more luxurious designs.
Classical Roman furniture was made from bronze, wood and stone — in particular, marble — with ornate touches like tortoiseshell veneers, bone and glass inlays and claw feet. Ornaments depicting lion heads and mythological figures were sculpted from silver, bronze and ivory. Compared to the decorative attention given to the mosaic floors and wall paintings, however, furniture for even a wealthy house was minimal. It focused on the necessities for guests arriving for both socializing and business and the rooms housing family, relatives and enslaved people.
The triclinium dining room had banquet couches, items so prized they were sometimes interred with the deceased. Tall bronze or terracotta candelabras held oil lamps for lighting. Carved marble tables reflected status, while the lararium home shrine demonstrated faith.
Find a collection of Classical Roman decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1770s Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Plaster
Early 2000s Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Ceramic
20th Century Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Pottery, Velvet, Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
1980s Unknown Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Resin
Early 1800s Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Bone
1830s English Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
1880s Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Terracotta
15th Century and Earlier Egyptian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Wool, Linen
19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Wood
20th Century Unknown Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Yarn
Early 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Carrara Marble, Statuary Marble, Steel
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Tapestry
1830s English Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
1790s English Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Marble
Mid-20th Century European Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Canvas, Wood, Paint, Burlap
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Early 20th Century French Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Bronze
2010s Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century French Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Tapestry, Canvas
17th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Glass, Giltwood, Paper
2010s Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Ceramic
1920s French Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
1980s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Earthenware
1980s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Earthenware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Canvas, Wood
1760s Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Glass, Wood, Paper
1980s American Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Plaster
19th Century German Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Porcelain, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Alabaster, Bronze, Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Cotton
18th Century French Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Oak
Late 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
1850s English Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper
1770s Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Plaster
1770s Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Plaster
1770s Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Plaster
1770s Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Plaster
1770s Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Plaster
Mid-20th Century Danish Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Brass
Mid-20th Century Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Wood, Paper
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Wood, Paper
19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Lapis Lazuli, Ormolu, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Hardwood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Gold Leaf
1990s Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Marble
20th Century American Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Mid-19th Century Swiss Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Canvas, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Marble
1790s English Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Paper