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.
18th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Crayon
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
Mid-17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
Early 20th Century Turkish Renaissance Furniture
Wool
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Agate, Silver
Mid-20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Velvet, Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Onyx, Ormolu
17th Century Greek Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stucco, Wood, Paper
1890s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Copper
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Nutwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Plaster
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1840s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Blown Glass
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Plaster
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Gesso
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Granite, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Stone, Bronze, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Mid-18th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Art Glass, Mirror, Murano Glass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica





