Renaissance

The word “renaissance” means “rebirth”, which referred to the renewed interest in antiquity. The style came late to Sweden, around 1520, an era that coincided with Gustav Vasa’s accession to the throne (1523). Furniture from this period has a rigid architectural structure and is designed with the same sense of symmetry as buildings. Armoires and beds were the finest pieces of furniture of the Renaissance. Intarsia was new to the period. Decorative elements included arabesques, acanthus decoration, grotesque decoration, and ornamental fittings.