Italian furniture can actually be quite radically diverse in design. In ancient Rome, where the architecture of the period was generally highly elaborate with its intricate columns, fountains and frescoes, the need for equally elaborate furniture was deemed unnecessary. The architecture was designed to be eye catching whereas the furniture, quite elegant for sure but nonetheless quite simple, was designed mainly for comfort.
Another style of furniture, however, can be characterized by having the opposite qualities. This style, known as the Tuscan style after the area in which it was first produced, is, by contrast, generally highly decorative and often incorporates the use of materials such as iron or marble. The Tuscan style also tends to introduce a combination of unique architectural elements into the design which makes it particular eye catching and spectacular.
A further division of the furniture of Italy can lead us into categorizing it into a number of different styles. These would include the Baroque, the Renaissance and the Rococo style which much like the modern style of Tuscany can all be dated back to the fourteenth century onwards.
The pieces that would be on display in the homes of ancient Italy would include couches, stools and chairs, tables and chests, cabinets and of course beds. In the dining area, or the "triclinium" a small and low table would be surrounded by two or three reclining couches of varying sizes. The bedroom or "cubiculum" would be furnished with a couch called a "lectus" which would be both used as a bed and as a place to simply sit and relax.
The frame of the lectus couch would be criss-crossed with leather straps onto which a mattress made of either straw, wool or feathers would be laid. On the mattress would be placed a set of finely detailed coverlet with matching pillows. The pieces would very often be adorned with embellishments of ivory, precious metals and even tortoise shell designs. The materials mainly used for the body of the work would be a cedar that would then be veneered and polished to a fine gloss.
The actual layout and use of the pieces would tell a lot about both social status and political status. In the dining area the most prominent person would occupy the highest couch, whereas an unimportant person would have a much lower couch nearby. Women would all have to sit whilst eating both to avoid the "unfeminine" reclining position and to denote subservience. A change in seating would indicate a similar change in status.
On the political front, at the Colosseum one could witness a similar situation much enlarged. The emperor himself would sit alone in a "bisellium", an intricate chair actually made for two, this would in turn be placed on a "pulvinar" (a raised platform). The senators meanwhile would carry their own ivory stools while the ordinary citizens would have to make do with wooden slabs.
With all the history and diversity of style one thing has never altered. The careful workmanship that goes into every piece means the quality of Italian furniture is the same as when it was first introduced to the rest of Europe. . There are some recommended Italian furniture stores in Toronto for example Suite 22 Interiors 160 Bullock Dr., Markham, ON L3P 1W2, Canada (905) 554-6084
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.articlemarketinghome.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites