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.
Mid-17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
16th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Ormolu
1860s American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Plexiglass, Parchment Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
Mid-20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Oak
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Early 18th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Clay, Terracotta
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Silk
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1890s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Blown Glass
18th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tapestry, Wool
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Renaissance Furniture
Stone
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Renaissance Furniture
Coral, Quartz, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut
1960s American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Paper
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1960s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Steel
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century British Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1720s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware, Maiolica
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Paint
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Pewter
1930s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
15th Century and Earlier English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut, Burl
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Faience
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ebony, Oak





