Renaissance Bookcases
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.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Brass
Late 20th Century Renaissance Bookcases
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Hungarian Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Wood
1970s North American Vintage Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Bookcases
Wood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Wood
1910s German Vintage Renaissance Bookcases
Walnut
1910s German Vintage Renaissance Bookcases
Walnut
2010s Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Bookcases
Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Bookcases
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Bookcases
Oak
1860s French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Walnut
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Walnut
Early 19th Century American Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Renaissance Bookcases
Oak, Glass
Early 20th Century American Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Oak
Early 20th Century British Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Oak
Early 20th Century British Renaissance Bookcases
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Wood, Walnut
1970s Vintage Renaissance Bookcases
Metal
20th Century Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Wood, Pine
Early 20th Century American Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Oak
1970s British Vintage Renaissance Bookcases
Wood
20th Century Renaissance Bookcases
Wood, Beech, Pine
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Wood
1870s French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Iron
1880s French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Oak
1870s French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Oak
1850s French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Walnut
1880s French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Oak
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Brass
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Oak, Glass
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Glass, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Bookcases
Blown Glass, Walnut