Elizabethan Furniture History

A quick guide to Elizabethan furniture history


Queen Elizabeth I belonged to the Tudor line of English royalty and played such an important role in her young country's fortunes that her time is signified by her name rather than that of her father, King Henry VIII. Elizabeth Tudor came to the throne in 1558 and reigned until 1603.

Elizabethan Furniture

The Elizabethan era of English furniture history saw a gradual absorption of the Gothic tradition, dominant in the Tudor furniture period, into a native English version of the Renaissance movement, particularly that part of the Renaissance as had developed in Holland, Germany and the Flemish lands.

At the end of Elizabeth's time a highly decorative and architectural style had become established among wealthy and fashionable persons of the period derived from the Flemish Renaissance, but applied with perhaps less knowledgeable artistry than it had obtained on the continent.

Elizabethan Antiques

Elizabethan antiques are exceptionally rare and are mostly found in museums and great houses with some highly expensive furniture appearing in the market place.

Key Facts

Monarchs: Elizabeth I

Dates: 1558-1603

Important Developments: Furniture made by Carpenters

Materials: Oak