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.
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
19th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Ormolu
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paint
1850s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Maiolica
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Velvet, Wood
1860s American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
Mid-19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
1870s 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
19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rock Crystal, Silver
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1830s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rosewood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Alabaster
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ebony
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Walnut





