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.
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
1930s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
1990s North American Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1870s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rock Crystal, Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century Greek Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tin
1980s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
18th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1960s American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1990s North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Cotton, Silk
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Metal
2010s American Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Onyx
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Late 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood





