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-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Walnut
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Fir
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
17th Century Greek Antique Renaissance Furniture
Tin
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Fruitwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
1880s Swedish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Plywood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Metal
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Iron
17th Century British Antique Renaissance Furniture
Cane
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Chrome
1970s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver, Enamel, Gold Plate
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Art Glass, Murano Glass, Mirror
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
15th Century and Earlier European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1990s North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
19th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Rosewood
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Iron
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1880s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Stone, Limestone
1930s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta





