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.
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1930s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Wood
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
1940s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Cotton
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
Late 20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Hardwood
Late 18th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Wood
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Pine, Wood
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
1970s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Gold Leaf, Gold
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1870s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Pottery
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Majolica, Paint
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Steel
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Late 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1980s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Art Glass, Murano Glass, Mirror
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
20th Century English Renaissance Furniture
Metal
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood