Antique Furniture
Antique furniture is the term for collectible interior furnishings of a notalbe age.
Antique furniture is often more desirable relative to its age, rarity, condition, or other unique features that makes the furniture desirable.
Antique Furniture can be a product of artistic design and can considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. Domestic furniture works to create, in conjunction with furnishings such as clocks and lighting, comfortable and convenient interior spaces. Furniture can be made from many materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. Cabinetry and cabinet making are terms for the skill set used in the building of furniture.
The earliest furniture was understandably very primitive and only practical, but gradually the furniture also began to have more importance and it became decorated. At this point, furniture became an early status symbol. Wealthy homeowners became more refined and demanded that their furnishings reflect their status and lifestyles.
The collecting of antique furniture is a particularly popular area of antiques due to the practical characteristics of these antiques.
Antique furniture includes dining tables, chairs, bureaus, chests etc.
The most common woods are mahogany, oak, pine, walnut and rosewood.
Each wood has its own distinctive grain and colour. Many modern pieces of furniture often use laminate or wood veneer to cheaply achieve the same effect. There are a number of different styles of antique furniture depending on when and where it was made.
The most common include Arts & Crafts, Georgian, Regency and Victorian.