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.
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass, Bronze
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Crystal, Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Furniture
Metal
1990s French Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
1980s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
1910s German Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1880s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather, Walnut
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paint
Early 1800s Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Gesso, Canvas
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
17th Century English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Leather
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Chestnut, Oak
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
1920s Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Metal
1860s American Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Oak
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal
18th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Limestone
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silver
16th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut, Ebony
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Earthenware, Maiolica
1930s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 17th Century European Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other, Bronze
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Statuary Marble
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Walnut
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk, Velvet
2010s Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Wrought Iron, Iron, Brass
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
2010s Italian Renaissance Furniture
Glass
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Lacquer
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Silk
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Wrought Iron, Sheet Metal
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood