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.
20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Iron
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Stone
19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s Persian Renaissance Furniture
Wool
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood, Gesso, Lacquer
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1950s Belgian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Brass
2010s French Renaissance Furniture
Paper
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Oak, Paint
17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1780s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Gold Leaf
1880s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Wood, Pine
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1880s German Antique Renaissance Furniture
Plaster, Pine
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
19th Century Antique Renaissance Furniture
Hardwood
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Persian Renaissance Furniture
Wool, Silk
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Carrara Marble
1970s North American Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
1870s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
1890s French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Porcelain
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Late 20th Century European Renaissance Furniture
Marble, Metal
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
1950s French Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Brocade, Walnut
Early 20th Century Spanish Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s Antique Renaissance Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Renaissance Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Furniture
Terracotta
1850s English Antique Renaissance Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Russian Renaissance Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century North American Renaissance Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Indian Renaissance Furniture
Wool
16th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Furniture
Other
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Furniture
Walnut
1930s Italian Vintage Renaissance Furniture
Bronze