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.
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Wrought Iron
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1990s North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
1970s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Alabaster
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Wood, Paint
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chrome
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Suede, Fabric, Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Porcelain
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Wood
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Iron
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut, Poplar, Walnut, Fir
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Composition, Metal
2010s American Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Chinese Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1990s North American Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble, Steel
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Marble
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Paint
Early 1600s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble





