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.
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1860s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Enamel, Bronze
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1890s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fruitwood, Pine
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Upholstery, Oak
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Ormolu, Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
1880s Danish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1870s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Linen, Walnut
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Serpentine, Bronze
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Maple, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1870s Austrian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Enamel
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Swiss Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Giltwood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1890s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble





