Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance Period was between 1400-1600. The Furniture of this period was very interesting. First was a chair which was known as the Sedia. This was an armchair that had straight legs stuck to the floor stretchers. To support the front of the arms of the chairs there were turned baluster or vase like forms. One of the very common things used in this time period for furniture was the nailheads on the wood and fringe. Also on these chairs in particular they tended to have a black seat made of velvet or even a tapestry or ornamented leather. This was where they used most of the decorative aspects in their design. This chair is shown below (image 1). Another piece of furniture well known in this period was the sgabello, This was a stool with a back, it was usually an octagonal or rectangular seat and had 3 legs. This was used for pretty much anything, all purposes , but especially dining. The chairs were a huge part of this time period because also popular was the x chair, which was also known as the Dante chair. This chair was two x's separated by a leather seat in the middle. Down the sides were fringe and tasseled cushions. Other examples of furniture known to this period were: the Savonarola chair, the Cassone (chest), the Cassapanca, beds, Trestle type tables and the Florentine table.







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Extra Credit Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am8qTFJwAEU