A BRIEF HISTORY OF CASE FURNITURE – The Renaissance Period (Part 2)
The word renaissance is used to describe the cultural rebirth and significant change that began in Italy during the 15th century and continued into the 16th and 17th century. The concept of cabinetry started in the 16th century in Italy as a rising middle-class economy enabled more people to afford finer household goods.
Since education was now allowed outside of the church, establishments prompted the study of nearby classical ruins in such places as Rome. This movement spread throughout the continent and by the 17th and 18th centuries, cabinets were much more elaborate with classical motifs and the profession of cabinetmaking became synonymous with fine furniture.
During the Renaissance in Italy, the chest was called a cassone and resembled the Roman sarcophagus decorated with classical figures rather than fortified chests that were made in the Medieval period. These chests were often made as bridal gifts to contain household goods and instructions for marriage. Examples show gilding, decorative carvings, and depictions in polychrome tempera rather than the restrained decor in previous pieces. Walnut also replaced oak as the primary wood used in furniture construction and carvings prevailed as a common decorative feature.
A 16th Century Italian cassone, bridal chest, constructed of walnut and resting on large paw feet. On the front is a depiction of the story of David and Goliath.
Storage cupboards became proportionately larger and doors were often carved with motifs and opened to reveal shelves inside. Credenzas stored a multitude of objects and were located in either the bedroom or the dining hall.
Italian credenza displayed at the Palazzo Davanzati in Florence, Italy.
In Spain, styles were similar to that in Italy with classical detailing, but with Moorish cultural influences and geometric designs from nearby eastern borders. The armario designed after the medieval armoire, stored articles of clothing and resembled two chests placed on top of one another. The vargueno, a fall front desk, took the form of a chest on a table sometimes with drawers below. The palera was a small cabinet used to store important papers and documents.
French styles were often classically ornate with fluted pilasters, mythological figures, arabesques, and Roman designs. The armoire a deux corps, was an armoire “of two bodies” and similar to those in Spain, resembled two chests placed on top of one another.
Two examples of a French armoire-a-deux-corp used to store articles of clothing.
The court cupboard was common in England with tiered shelving for displaying tableware and predates the sideboard or buffet. Variations of this cupboard, called the hall and parlor cupboard, had closed top compartments and concealed drawers and shelves.
The geographical separation of England from other European countries kept artisans from traveling to Italy to study the new Renaissance styles. Case furniture of the 16th century in England made little advancement from the medieval and gothic forms. Some were more ornate with geometric diamond patterns, painted designs, and decorative carvings, while others were modestly decorated with classical motifs, constructed of oak, and less sophisticated than the Italian and French pieces. One notable difference between the Renaissance and Medieval English chests, was that the hardware was concealed on the inside of the piece.
Amy Spencer
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