The History of Furniture

As you might be able to imagine, furniture has a long history as part of our collective culture.  Historically, the most common material used in making furniture is wood, but other materials such as metal and stone have been used over the years. The designs of furniture have reflected cultural fashion in every era from ancient times to the present day.  Whereas in most periods a single design dominated, there is diversity today amongst the old and new.  In most furniture stores today you will see the traditional as well as the contemporary and everything from imitation antiques to ultra modern styles.

A full and accurate history of furniture is impossible before a certain time, but historians have been able to pick up the trail around the time of ancient Egypt.  Although much of this furniture has not survived due to the dry Egyptian climate, the many wall hangings that those people left give a detailed history of their fondness for things like stools, tables and chairs. Many of the techniques they used survive to this day. For example, the sides of the more delicate boxes were put together by a procedure known as dovetailing which is still in use.

As you might expect, the Greeks who have left us so many legacies in so many different areas, have also left indications of the types of furniture they used.  Again little has survived, so what we know of their furniture has been left to us from sculptures and wall hangings. What historians have been able to uncover indicates that the Greeks were fond of brass and ornate wooden pieces. A few mobile thrones have survived over the ages but many of the stools and chairs were built with wood and have been lost.

At first glance, Roman design appears to mimic the Greek. However closer inspection reveals that the Romans used more bronze and brass than their predecessors.  In addition to the small tables common in Greece, larger rectangular examples of round tables of various sizes are part of the Roman legacy. Rich elegant inlays and elaborate work in ivory bronze marble and wood are mentioned time and time again in the Roman literature. Some of the examples that modern man will be most familiar with come to us from early European examples.

Renaissance painting sculpture and architecture as well as furniture was developed in Italy before 1425, but the Italian designs for furniture stayed simple for some inexplicable reason.  The first innovation in European furniture did come from Italy however.  It was the elaborate design known as a cassone, with its gilt, stucco and painted decorations that were based on classical prototypes. Still to this day, it is Italian Renaissance furniture that is credited with being a big influence on the styles that we enjoy.

Return To Our Home and House Learning Library

Visit Our Home Inspection Supersite