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.
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Maiolica
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1900s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Renaissance Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1790s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
1950s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
1920s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gesso, Straw
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
1880s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Dutch Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1950s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Sterling Silver
Early 1900s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
1970s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
1990s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Travertine
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s French Renaissance Furniture
Stucco, Giltwood, Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Wood
1910s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Belgian Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble
1910s German Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
Early 1900s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
1920s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Other
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1920s Danish Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Fabric, Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood