Antique Frames for sale
Buy high quality reproductions of antique picture frames made in Italy.
Custom-made antique frames for sale created to last
EXCLUSIVE REPRODUCTIONS OF ANTIQUE FRAMES FOR SALE
Find high-quality reproductions of antique picture frames made in Italy for sale. As important paintings to frame are our priority, we offer several shapes, styles, and finishings of reproduction frames made to last. Indeed, our mission is to deliver antique-looking frames for paintings personalized in any detail. Moreover, we offer three different category prices so you can pick the one you have the budget for. Further down this page, we explain in detail the characteristics of our frames, underlying the innovation of our production system. You will also find a little bit of history related to the crucial styles of antique painting frames and the evolution of their structures.
EXPENSIVE FRAMES
AFFORDABLE FRAMES
LOW PRICE FRAMES
Top quality custom antique frames for sale
Are authentic antique frames for paintings hard to find? Finding the perfect antique frame with the right size for your artwork takes work. You could have to search for ages before finding the sight size of an authentic old frame matching the measures of your painting. Even when you find the size, what about finishing, style, and shape? Is it the kind of old frame you had in mind? I don’t think so. That’s very unlikely to happen!
Authentic antique picture frames in the right size for collectors’ paintings are scarce. For this reason, carvers and gilders still exist today to create reproduction frames. They can make reproductions of antique picture frames with great care and knowledge of ancient techniques. Thus, the reproductions can be worth as much as the originals.
If you want to frame your beautiful artwork with a lovely old frame, we suggest you choose one of our replicas of antique frames. We offer a vast collection of more than 150 models, presented with high-quality photos and detailed descriptions. In addition, you can personalize our models as you prefer and choose from various finishings.
Different prices for antique picture frames made in Italy
For expensive, affordable, and low-price reproductions of antique looking frames for paintings, we created three product category pages from which you can pick any model, calculate its price based on the painting size, and purchase it immediately. It is a very straightforward process that allows you to buy online. See below the three different categories.
Find our exclusive reproductions of antique picture frames made in Italy. We have custom antique frames for sale with the perfect size.
Follow the link below to see our most expensive reproductions, specially made for important artworks. You will find them split per era, region, and style.
We spent years figuring out how to create a collection of custom antique frames for sale, available for a reasonable price! We’ve achieved it.
We continuously study new techniques to lower the price of our unique reproduction frames, saving time and expensive materials. Click below to see our models.
Find our low-price reproductions of antique picture frames made in Italy. This section shows our latest achievement in custom antique frames for sale. You will see excellent models available for your paintings at a super convenient price.
Follow the link below to check the price of models specially made for clients who like to save money while still buying excellent products. We created a product category available to anyone with a low budget, pursuing new technology systems and an intelligent use of new materials. You will find the models split per era, region, and style.
cheap picture framing
For cheap antique picture frames and modern inexpensive framing, we designed a catalog and a pricelist with more than 1000 models to pick from. They are available in a huge varity of combinations of colors and finishes. Therefore, for cheap picture framing of any style and shape, you need downloading the catalog and the price list below. You can’t purchase these items straight from the website. Indeed, to buy them, you must send us an email and we will provide you a quote with the information to proceed with the purchase. Down below, we explain what exactly you will find in the catalog and whom it was designed for.
Cheap antique picture frames for sale
In the catalog you find cheap antique picture frames for paintings and mirrors, in many shapes. They are available in length or mitered. Remember that the catalog displays the antique style frames only on the first few pages. The majority of items indeed, are destined for modern inexpensive framing. Beside any model, you will find the section profile describing all the necessary measures you need to know for the purchase.
First, you need to decide if the section width, the rabbet, and the other measures are right for your artwork. Second, you need choosing between different finishings displayed around the frame profile. Any profile, in fact, can be made in several burnishing.
We supply inexpensive antique-style frames to private collectors, antique dealers and interior designers. In other words, we’ve created a vast selection of cheap picture framing to enlarge our customers’ community. In many cases, these kinds of products are used to encase mirrors.
Inexpensive custom frames for modern art
The catalog displays a considerable number of cheap custom frames for interior decoration. They can be bought in lengths, mitered or custom made. Therefore, they are suitable for architects and interior designers who need to buy many frame at the time. Also, because of the quantity, we can apply industrial techniques to achieve massive production at a significant low price.
There is no minimum order for cheap custom frames, but we strongly advise customers to buy them in bulk, otherwise the price will significantly increase, due to overseas shipping.
Inexpensive framing with molding in lengths
You get the cheapest price when you buy from the catalog molding in length. Pick the model and check the pricelist. No minimum order is required for wood picture frame moldings in lengths. If you want to save money with shipping, we recommend you buy a minimum of 10 rods.
ANTIQUE PICTURE FRAMES MADE IN ITALY SINCE 1905
We specialize in Italian, French, Spanish, and Flemish reproductions of antique picture frames made in Italy. You’ll find Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, Empire, and Renaissance styles on our website. Follow the link below to our YouTube channel to learn more about the two most significant techniques necessary to realize top-quality replicas of antique frames.
Antique frames for museums
We have been working for several international museums. Between them are the Metropolitan, National Gallery, British Museum, Staatliche Museen, and Kunsthistorisches.
Why do such famous museums use reproductions instead of authentic antique frames made in Italy? Because it’s challenging to find original antique picture frames for paintings. To find an antique picture frame for sale with the right shape and style is not the end of the world. Sometimes it happens. Unfortunately, you never find it with the right size you need. Due to this issue about antique frames, our company has realized many replica frames for museums. Ordering us a frame, they stop bothering with any size.
The greatest patina
Experts in carving and gilding think that our reproductions of antique frames look authentic. Apart from the shape, the carving, and the gilding, what makes the difference is the “Patina.”
The word “Patina” defines the tricky process of darkening and aging the gilding. Looking closely at our photos, you will find some tiny broken parts and a few fake wormholes on the gilded surfaces. They’re done on purpose to age the reproductions.
Follow the links below to our YouTube channel to learn more about the patina process.
How to antique a gold picture frame
How to rub a reproduction frame
Dark shellac to darken the gold leaf
Final result
Antique frames styles
Before the 1300s, just a few examples of frames existed: they were mostly related to architectural decorations. So, as our primary goal is to talk about frames for paintings, we analyze the styles from the late Middle Ages to the 20th century. Also, we believe that the 20th century corresponds with the death of dogmatic and rigid art. As a result, 21st-century art is so eclectic that a few styles can’t categorize it. For these reasons, below, we describe the main antique picture frame styles that European framers designed over the centuries.
Gothic antique frames
The first examples of antique Gothic frames are complements of churches’ altarpieces and have a structure that recalls Hebrew holy tabernacles. Their typical shapes influenced the north more than the south of Europe. Antique Gothic picture frames developed in Italy at the end of the 1300s. They have been used to frame masterpieces such as the polyptych of Vigoroso da Siena and the “Santa Trinità Maestà” of Cimabue.
You won’t find photos of Gothic frames on our website because we realize them under commission. We didn’t set up a gallery page displaying our previous works, but we will undoubtedly do it soon. If you need excellent replicas of antique looking picture frames with the shape of tabernacles, contact us by email.
Renaissance frames
Renaissance style frame recalls classic Roman art. Its real spirit is an in-depth look at the art of the Roman Empire. In fact, most ornamentations of Renaissance style frames come from that period. Even if a mix of new forms characterizes its symbols, Romans used most Renaissance decorations long ago. In other words, Roman art is the primary source of Renaissance ornates.
What is the Italian Renaissance style?
To answer straightforwardly, we can picture the Italian Renaissance as the end of the dark ages. It’s a new way of perceiving the world, which emphasizes the rebirth of humanity after years of illnesses and famine. Renaissance started in Florence at the beginning of the 15th century in Lorenzo de’ Medici’s court. Indeed, Lorenzo was the beginner in Renaissance culture.
As the style is composed of different phases in time, we can distinguish two main Renaissance frame styles. In the first one, you find polyptychs, triptychs, diptychs, and altarpieces commissioned by churches. In the second one, you find Cassetta picture frames headed to private collectors, usually decorated with gold leaf and lacquer. This website displays many Renaissance frames with the typical Cassetta structure decorated by gold leaf and the flat central surface lacquered in black.
Renaissance frame value
Renaissance frames are essential for antiques because art dealers have the right to commercialize them even if they are very ancient. Also, a few models are still available on the market because museums and public institutions own the majority. For this reason, they turned out to be very expensive.
Check our gallery of Renaissance picture frames
Baroque picture frames
Baroque style frames developed in Europe during the first half of the 17th century and are the evolution of Renaissance frames. We can distinguish Baroque frames from other styles for their rich ornamentations and massive structure. Carvers did their work exceeding in virtuosity to create frames no longer complementary to the paintings.
Therefore, in certain cases, frames stand out more than paintings, as they are composed of intricate acanthus leaves over their sides. When this happens, decorations and design become too heavy and, metaphorically speaking, could kill the painting. That is why we sometimes use the word Baroque to describe a piece of art that is too rich.
Balance in extremely worked ornates
Nevertheless, the seventeenth century witnessed the growth of extraordinary craftsmanship as well. In other words, the Baroque period gave birth to astonishing frames capable of enriching their paintings with balanced carvings and bright gildings.
For instance, we see a good result of a complex Baroque frame on our Pinterest board. Even though it is extremely rich, it doesn’t suffocate its painting. We expressed, of course, just a point of view and not a dogma. Besides, standpoints change in time depending on many variables: the economy, the availability of materials, etc.
In short, during the Baroque era, artists pushed themselves further than Renaissance artists. As the world had just gotten out of the ages of darkness (Middle Ages), there was a huge wish to exaggerate the research of well-being and richness that started during the Renaissance era.
Check our gallery of Baroque picture frames
Rococo frame style
What defines the Rococo style is an exceeding of intricate leaf decorations over the sides. They are quite similar to Baroque ornamentations, except for a few differences. First, Rococo style frames have a softer structure. So, generally, they weigh less than Baroque frames. Second, they have ornaments that are not specular.
Looking carefully, you will notice that Baroque-style frames have centered and specular ornaments over the sides. On the other hand, Rococo frames are made with ornates that run freely around their structures. Thus, they’re rich in a great balance without even being specular. People tend to confuse the two styles: they’re very similar indeed.
Rococo frames appeared in France around the 1700s. They lasted until the 1760s, much shorter than Baroque models. Besides, experts define the Rococo style as a derivation of Baroque art. Rococo frames evolved from the Baroque style, softening into a more graceful and fleeting style.
Carved mirror frames became common in decor interiors during the Baroque and Rococo eras. The new rising bourgeoisie used them to show off their power. That is probably why the Rococo style evolved through compositions that were even more complex than Baroque models.
Check our gallery of Rococo picture frames.
Neoclassical picture frame
Neoclassical frames spread over Europe around the 1780s. During that time, Neoclassical art developed because of the previous discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Indeed, architects started to study in-depth classical architecture to synthesize the new trend style that would take the name of Neoclassicism.
Symmetrical and uncomplicated forms define Neoclassical frames. Carvers and gilders pay more attention to balanced geometry than rich ornamentation. The style is a reaction to the exaggerations of Rococo art, and its central core is the necessity of regaining the ancient harmonious traditions of the classic world.
As the Renaissance did 300 years earlier, Neoclassicism dug deeply into ancient Greco-Roman art to recover the aesthetic balance of traditional ornaments. Understanding the profound analogy between Roman art, the Renaissance, and Neoclassicism is essential. They’re all linked together for similar purposes, and the latter style combines the first two.
Follow the links below to see the similarity between Renaissance and Neoclassical frames. You will see a parallel in the typical Cassetta structure, the geometry of the forms, and the use of lacquer on the flat central surfaces.
Neoclassical picture frame
Renaissance picture frame
The main difference between the two frames is the color of the paint. Renaissance typically used red, blue, and black paint, while Neoclassical frames are in white lacquer.
Check our gallery of Neoclassical picture frames
Empire antique frames
The Empire style is the continuation of Neoclassicism. The connection between the two styles is so strong that you could have difficulty distinguishing them. Decorations and symbols remain almost the same; what slightly changes is the general structure of the profiles and the finishes.
The typical shape of Neoclassical frames is the Cassetta flat structure. On the contrary, Empire frames have a deep concave surface to form their profiles. To synthesize, curved moldings are the main elements of Empire profiles, while flat lacquered surfaces determine Neoclassical frame shapes. The second consistent difference between Neoclassical and Empire antique frames is the finishing. Although the two styles are extensively characterized by gold leaf, the ladder tends to mix walnut surfaces and gold. So, apart from the structure, you could distinguish the two styles by the red walnut surfaces of the Empire frames.
Empire art is an early 19th-century artistic movement. It started under Napoleon and lasted a couple of decades. Its influence disappeared around 1850 when new style trends took over traditional art design. See two typical examples of Empire frames below.
Empire gilded frame
Empire walnut frame
Check our gallery of Empire picture frames
Other styles
Since the 1850s, many art movements related to visual arts developed in Europe. We decided to bring all of them together in this last section under Eclecticism because they share one major intent: freedom. The Eclectic movements that influenced paintings and frames have been created under the logic of mixing ornaments and structures of the past. As a result, artists covered 600 hundred years of art history, from Gothic to Empire, gathering elements to free art from rules.
The newborn trends are so different that their description would take tough work to do. Dogma, intended as in previous artistic styles, disappeared. For this reason, a new generation of artists was free to create art following instinct and knowledge without any specific rule. We are still able to find excellent examples of craftsmanship among Eclectic movements. However, the excess of freedom in the creation process leads to results that are sometimes not very high, at least compared to previous styles.
Related link
Clicking on the links below, you can reach the product gallery pages of the main styles of our reproduction frames. We cover a range of styles that go from the late 15th century to the early 19th century.
- Renaissance picture frames
- Baroque picture frames
- Rococo picture frames
- Neoclassical frames
- Empire frames
Antique period frames
Down below, you find links to the major period frames that we cover. They are the same frames linked above, but this time, they are categorized by era.
Antique frames finishing
How do you make a gold frame look old? The process of aging a frame is done by several tricks that master gilders do following a precise order. The finishing techniques we are referring to, exist since the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, framers have been using reproduction frames to enrich old paintings.
Rubbing out the gilded surface
First, you must rub the gilded surface with steel wool pads. You have to be careful with this first step. You don’t want to rub too much. If you do, you will obtain a gilded surface that is too distressed. So be careful and try to go slowly. You could even rub the frame more, after other steps are finished. This way, you will better understand what you’re doing. Watch a video on our YouTube channel about the technique: Rubbing out the picture frame surface.
Antique frame distressing
This is the second step to age a frame. You will use a couple of stones with different shapes and softly hit the carvings and the corners. They are supposed to be as ruined as the ones of antique frames.
The secret is to hit the gilding gently and gradually; otherwise, the risk is the same as rubbing too much. You go step by step, slowly, and proceed, distressing with little cracks and broken parts all along the sides. You could even add a few fake wormholes using a nail. Both steps of this process are shown in the videos below.
How to distress a picture frame
How to fake wormholes
Applying several hands of shellac
Shellac is a crucial material when it is a matter of darkening a reproduction frame. It is a natural resin and comes in flakes that have to be dissolved in alcohol 99°. We use it with wood, gesso, real gold, and Dutch gold leaf because it is very versatile. For this reason, it is the number one product in the domain of restoration.
When shellac is already dissolved in alcohol, you’ll notice that it’s very dark on its own. If you melt dark Earth powder and a bit of black powder into it, the shellac will become even darker. After it is been darkened, one can lay several hands of it upon the gilded surfaces. This process has to be fast; otherwise, the shellac dry and you’ll ruin the work. Alcohol, indeed, evaporates quickly, letting shellac dry almost instantly.
The quantity of hands of shellac one has to apply depends on its density. The denser it is, the less you are going to apply. The work is finished when you’ve reached the tone you’re looking for. Find below a couple of videos showing the shellac and the way you should use the brush.
The color of the shellac
Applying the dark shellac
Antique frames finishings
Follow the links below to see the finishings based on shellac that we realize. All our antique picture frames are Made in Italy, and the finishings below are just an example of what we can do.
Shape of antique frames Made in Italy
Usually, old frames are rectangular or, in a few cases, square. In other words, finding antique frames for sale with other shapes is quite unusual. However, in our production, you will find other kinds of shapes. We listed below the different forms of our antique frames for sale. As a result, you’ll find several oval, round, and octagonal models realized with gilded MDF mats. In this case, the mat consists of some circular passe-partout that allows the external shape of the frame to be rectangular or squared if the painting is a perfect circle.
Gilded mat
Why do we advise customers to go for the circular gilt mat? We always recommend an outer square or rectangular structure of the frame because the entire body of the work would be more robust. Ordering one of the above uncommon frames without the mat would cost even more.
Why would a simpler frame cost more than a more elaborate one? Because the amount of work to do is more significant. In fact, manufacturing a flat wood gilded mat is easier than realizing an oval frame with complex moldings. The work is challenging and dangerous when it is a matter of oval frames. For instance, we need a spindle molder woodworking machine to realize an oval or round custom frame. Most importantly, the price is higher because the work is more complex. For this reason, we advise customers to buy our solutions.
If you’re not afraid of buying an expensive frame, you can go for ovals and round custom frames without the MDF mat. That is to say, we’re not scared of realizing uncommon frames. Follow the link below to see one of the best examples that we realized.
Round antique frame #094
Custom antique frames for sale
Buy our antique frames for sale, as they are the ones that distinguish us all over the world. We will follow you in each step during the purchase, solving any of your doubts. Remember that we’ve been doing this for more than a century.
Antique picture frames made in Italy
In our collection, which includes more than 150 antique picture frames made in Italy, you can personalize either the lacquer color or the finishing. Also, you can change the shape of the section width. Remember that the essential quality of our reproduction frames is that they are customizable.
Just tell us the size of your painting and we will customize one of our antique picture frames for sale in the best possible way. For any modification, mail us before buying. You will get a response within 24 hours with the approval of the changes you are requesting.
Instant Quote
Calculate the price by your own. Service not available for molding in lengths
Worldwide Shipping
Receive our reproduction frames with FEDEX and DHL all over the world
How do I identify an antique frame?
You may watch the back of the frame when trying to distinguish an antique frame from a fine reproduction. In fact, the backs of the reproduction frames usually appear new. Framers don’t do much work on the backside because frames stick to the wall. If that is the case, the back should be clear, and you would instantly understand that it is a reproduction.
Patina on the back of reproduction frames
When you find a replica frame with a good patina on the back, it becomes trickier to distinguish it from an antique frame. If the patina is well made on the front and the back, you must look closely at any detail. For instance, you can look for pigment on the backside because sometimes framers apply it to darken the wood. If you find it, that’s a sign of falsification.
Apart from darkening the backside, here at Laboratorio Federici, we use a couple more tricks to make the frame look even older. First, we bit the back of the frame with a stone to smooth all the sharp edges. Second, we use a rasp to try to produce any sort of imperfections. As a result, the backside will appear dark, rubbed, and distressed like an old frame.
If you have to cope with reproductions of antique frames with a good patina on the front and the back, you could even buy a replica, believing it’s an antique one. That sometimes happens. So watch out, and look for details.
Water gilding
if you don’t find any clue in the back of the frame, you now have the last chance to identify the authenticity of an antique frame, focusing on the gilding. Remember that antique frames are always gilded with genuine gold leaf. Most importantly, 90% of old models have been gilded with a gilding process called water gilding. You recognize the water gilding by small overlaps of the gold leaves along the surface. If you see them, then water gilding and genuine gold leaf were used. That is a good beginning.
On the other hand, if you don’t see overlaps, the frame could be a replica. No one used other than genuine gold leaves until the end of the 19th century. However, if you’re so unlucky to deal with a replica frame gilded by genuine gold leaf with water gilding, it becomes hard to identify it as a replica. Picturing this last scenario, searching through a lens for more minor details is the only chance remaining. You must analyze the wormholes, the tiny cracks on the gilded surface, and the type of bole. You’re probably analyzing an authentic antique frame if all those natural details appear real.
Antique looking frames for important paintings
Do you have an important painting to frame? You will find here more than 150 models of exclusive reproductions of antique picture frames for sale Made in Italy. Find them categorized by price, style, and period.
Custom antique frames for sale
We think an excellent reproduction frame can solve all your problems without any headaches! Stop looking for authentic frames to fit your paintings. Why would you prefer to buy a reproduction frame? Because we are still excellent craftsmen, skillful as the ones of ancient times. As a result, you would buy a frame as unique as the authentic antique frames of the past.
There is little difference between us and a master carver and gilder born during Renaissance times. We haven’t changed so many things in the process of making a beautiful antique frame. In other words, we have changed just the essential things to accomplish the same good result at an affordable expense. Most importantly, for a little more money, we are able to go for the same ancient path great masters took a long time ago. For instance, follow the link to see Massimiliano Gurrieri (Master Carver and Gilder) carving an antique Baroque replica frame.
Build a collection of antique frames made in Italy
See the gallery with all the reproductions displayed. Most of our clients get so involved with our reproductions that after the first order, they keep changing all the ugly frames they owned for decades. Prove yourself, and you’ll be astonished by the quality.
Worthy reproduction frames
Since 1905, the “Laboratorio Federici” has been among the most relevant ateliers in Europe, manufacturing antique picture frames Made in Italy. The Atelier has realized more than 10 thousand frames! We know that there are a bunch of collectors out there who know our workshop pretty well.
Frames getting value
Some of our reproductions manufactured at the beginning of the 20th century already have considerable value. Even if they are replicas of older styles, they’ve got a unique taste. In other words, due to the “patina” and due to the carving, it’s impossible to define their age.
When experts recognize a frame made from “Laboratorio Federici,” they say it is a reproduction. But at the same time, they give our frames a high value because of the quality and the excellent work.
Instant quote
We offer customers the chance to calculate the price of our antique picture frames for sale instantly. When you click the “calculate price” button, you will land on a calculator page. At that point, you must fill the blank text boxes with your painting measures in cm or inches.
Our efficient algorithm will instantly calculate the purchase price, including shipping. Now, you are ready to pay using your preferred method.
Delivery and payment
Delivery is roughly from 30 to 60 days from the order. We use DHL, FedEx, and DPD couriers and ship worldwide. We use high-quality material to pack the frames to protect your purchase. See our policy about shipping.
Low price frame delivery
The delivery of our low price antique frames is in about 30 days from the order. We still use the above mentioned couriers. Usually, we ship these products dismounted. Customers can mount them in place in less than five minutes with an easy system. That’s the way to save more than 60% on shipping. Follow this link on our YouTube channel to see our joining system: Lamello.
Affordable and expensive frame payments
You can pay affordable and expensive frames by wire transfer, PayPal, or credit card. After calculating the price by the calculator page associated with the frame you intend to order, you can pay. After that, you can mail us the order details as requested during the purchasing process. These kinds of items, if aren’t too big, are always almost shipped mounted.
Molding in lengths payments
To pay for molding in lengths, you have first to mail us a quote request. Subsequently, you can either pay by PayPal or wire transfer. As there is no automatic system to purchase these kinds of products (our cheapest selection), if you want to use PayPal, you must click the link: PayPal for inexpensive frames.