Renaissance Ceramics
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 Ceramics
Earthenware, Maiolica
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Earthenware, Maiolica
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Earthenware
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Earthenware
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Majolica
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Earthenware
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Terracotta
Late 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Pottery
1950s Italian Vintage Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic
1950s Italian Vintage Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic
19th Century Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Majolica, Paint
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic, Earthenware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic, Majolica
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic, Majolica
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Maiolica
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic, Majolica
20th Century Italian Renaissance Ceramics
Majolica
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Maiolica
Early 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic, Majolica
20th Century Italian Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic, Paint
Early 1900s English Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Majolica
Mid-17th Century French Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Earthenware
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Maiolica
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic, Majolica
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Maiolica
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Ceramics
Majolica
Early 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Pottery
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Maiolica
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Ceramics
Ceramic