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.
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tortoise Shell
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Glass
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass, Iron
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 17th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Metal
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
17th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Cane
16th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1880s Swedish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chrome
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Fruitwood
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
1970s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver, Enamel, Gold Plate
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rosewood
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut





