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.
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1860s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver, Other
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Brass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Art Glass
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
1910s Belgian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Fiberglass
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood, Paint
1940s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 2000s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stucco
Early 20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Pine, Wood
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Concrete, Steel
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sandstone
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stucco
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1870s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver, Enamel, Gold Plate
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Romanian Renaissance Furniture
Other
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
1870s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut