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.
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Wood
15th Century and Earlier English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1980s American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Linen, Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Furniture
Paint
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic
16th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Glass
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
1680s Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Ormolu
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Suede, Fabric, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Walnut
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Wrought Iron, Iron, Brass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Crystal
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Glass
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Dutch Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 17th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Faience
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
Early 17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass, Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Copper, Enamel
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak





