11: Western European Furniture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

Torchère

16th century

Italy

217x77 cm

Carved walnut

Furniture was one of the chief means of decorating the interiors of palaces and castles in the Renaissance period, together with ornamental painting and tapestries. Among the variety of types of furniture that became popular at that time were torcheres and different sorts of pedestal for the marble sculptures, majolica, vases and candelabra that enriched the rooms of the period.

The main element in the decoration of furniture remained carving, while the grotesque became one of the most popular motifs. This richly elaborate type of ornament that originated in ancient times had its rebirth in the 16th century.

The torchere with legs in the form of lion's paws was made from dark walnut. The extremely rich carving and variety of ornamental motifs brings out the plastic quality of the wood and stresses the simplicity and clarity of form in the piece as a whole.