Early Italian Furniture

The Renaissance focused attention on artistic design for the home

During the early Renaissance period (up to around 1500) wealthy Italians paid little attention to how their homes were furnished. They were far more interested in the works of art and statuary that they had commissioned; after all, if you had paid a considerable sum of money to have a fresco painted across your living room wall you would not then order large pieces of furniture that obscured it!

Towards the end of the 15th century we find the ruler of Florence, Lorenzo the Magnificent, who was one of the prime movers of the Renaissance and patron of artists such as Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo, cautioning his son against overdoing the decoration and furnishing of his home. It was considered poor taste to flaunt your wealth in this way.

To furnish your home you would rely on simple tables and chairs or benches, perhaps dining off oak boards laid across trestles that could easily be moved when the meal was over. In the bedroom, rugs and cushions dominated, the bed itself being on a raised dais. Wall decoration consisted of painted leather draperies or woven tapestries.

The chief item of furniture, throughout the house, was the “cassone” or large rectangular chest that served mainly as a storage facility but also…