During archaeologic excavation, the first forniture specimen had been found in Egypt where it was a custom to inhume in the burial the sarcophagus of dead, together with the objects which belonged to him and he had loved them.About 3100 b.c. the bed, a chair,a stool, a table, a holder for clothes had been already invented. In the VII b.c. century from Mesopotamic it was learned the technic of woodturning:comfortable and elegant furnitures were manufactures with precious wood through a careful manufacturing and with an assemblage with a joint, inclusion of wrist pin or using a method of feather.Woods used were: acacia, sycamore, cedar and olive tree imported from Palestine and Lebanon.A fanciful and abundant decorations, with tunnels and inlaid panels, covering with gold leaf and silver applications, ivory, ebony and majolica with glasses. They are today showed in the Bulak Museum of “The Cairo “ but also in the Museums of Berlin, Paris, London, Leida, Turin, Florence and Rome.In old Grece the bed (Kline) was a wood and smooth frame with leather woven stripes on which there was a mattress. There are many depictions with scenes of banquet the “kline” used like a sofa and like a bed; square tables with four legs (trapeza) and with three legs(tripous) with a square or round floor.There were used wood large chests called Kibotos for putting the objects or dresses. Later it will be appeared out-and-out wall wardrobes. Thanks to people of Grece for the use of chair (klismos); it was elegant and useful, it was similar to a bar stool on one hand and a stilted throne on the other hand.By the time the simplicity of neophyte was replaced by use of decorative inventory.Etruscan and Roman furniture come from Grece furnitures. Even if in the homes of rich people there were bronze furnitures, with bone and ivory; Roman people used a lot of furnitures of oak or maple tree. Besides the improvement of Empire even the use of exotic wood spreads; the bed (lectus triclinaris) was one of the most important element of domestic furniture, in the meantime it was spreading the use of wardrobe with doors (armarium); from the excavation of Pompei it had been had examples of wood furniture, wicker and little bronze beds with a marble floor.
Medieval Age
In the Middle Age, the piece of furnitures of massive wood and sober shapes was a for a long time one of the little elements of the furnishing in the common house, while in the courts or in the big monasteries were realized cases, reliquaries, etc with precious woods, marbles and ivory. The stool was often flexible and resulting from the evolution of “ sedia curulis “ of the Roman people, it’s an element which lasts in Middle Ages. Tables and beds were generally realized with supports on which they were overlapped of the aces, they are like the stools easily transportable and they do not furnish steadily the rooms but were installed and dismantled according to the necessities, even the trunk for underwear and clothes is often built in portable version: the trunk for travel.The organised and quiet lifestyle in the Monastery and in the cathedral encouraged the use of fixed furniture like benches, sacristy closet, shelves for books, reading-desks, benches for the choir. In the late Middle Ages that furnitures were decorated with fretworks, bows, rampant leaves, pinnacles and typical groins of Gothic decoration.The oak tree was the wood most used. In the North of Europe it was spread the use of cupboards closed for keeping foods; a particular type was a trunk with doors, supported on legs with a basis and called buffet. Towards the end of XIII century it developed a particular decoration of the panels of furnitures with pleated shapes and carved on the smooth bottom, called parchment.In Spain the furniture of Gothic age, mostly realized using woods of tree fruit and chestnut tree, it is affected by eastern influence, due to long Arabian domination. With black haired influence there is the massive use of leather on Gothic shapes, the use of polychrome wood and the recourse of little inlays. In Italy Gothic furniture developed in the North, while in the other part of the country the furnishings still adopts simple and essential lines
The Renaissance
In this period, the furnitures of Florence before and that Roman then reflect the recovery of the artistic and culture patrimony of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.Polyfunctional and dismantled furniture of Middle Ages adopted for all rooms and all the situations are replaced from several types of furnitures with characteristics, precise shapes and different in according to use and the atmospheres to which they were intended.From a constructive point of view, the Renaissance furniture, nearly always massell of walnut saw the various elements held together by iron nails or simple joints, while the use of glue was unknown.The containers had composed backs with many boards placed horizontally and nailed on the thickness of the flanks. Also the drawers were generally assembled with iron nails.That time there weren’t questions of lamber like today and trees had the chance to grow a lot in fact their trunk was over the metre of diameter; it allowed to cut large boards for using in the construction of furniture.Wood through that long growth assumed a plain colour, very dark and with sweet red tonality.In order to work the wood the cabinet maker’s used a saw, whose irregular and deep signes on the surfaces of the wood, in the parts at sight were eliminated with a plane, it was a plane with half-moon blade and cleaned with a piece of glass.Particular shapes were realized with the lathe to pedal and other tods for carving.The decorative techniques used a lot were the carving, a hall relief or all around the pictorial inlay with flowers, animals and other pictures or Carthusians, geometrical type, with cards often beating with dry or fixed with very thin nails, “ the radicatura “ ( it consists of a covering a structure ), with the root cut in hard thicknesses to cover the surfaces or to create little panels and the gilding obtained with gold leaf extended on a plane maked of plaster.The work was completed with a polishing with wax of bee.The large case to put the dresses was generally built with walnut table, of oak or Spanish chestnut tree and, for an homage to Ancient Rome, it often assumed the shape of sarcophagus.The reasons of the decoration were generally taken from the classic architecture and mythology with painted or carving animals.With the passing the time, the gilding and sophisticated painting were replaced by elegant panels carved in high-relief.In 1500’s century in the richer Italian houses the stods and the benches were replaced by chairs, while the shelves of the tables and the panels of the doors are sometimes inlay with valuable stones and marbles.The tables becomes a fixed structure called “fratino”, it was long and tight, in wood of walnut always cut to great thickness, it is supported from large pillars to square sections, while a wood crosspiece covers it in the sense of the lenghth to make a footrest.At the end of 1500’s century it appears a table with four legs.The beds are simple and ligneous structures hidden by good fabrics, even if there are beds more complex with sculptured ongle pillars. The Renaissance bed is usually single, with double bed, the mattress is supported by three axis which are based on two plankings nouled to the lateral “longherone” (metallic structure for supporting) or a reticulum of inter crossed ropes. In the 1400’s century the ornamental aspects referred to classicism, in the 1500’s century they become elaborate and confused.If in the northern of Italy some shapes of bloomed Gothics remained, in Naples and in Sicily the influence of Arabian people prevailed. The Italian Renaissance style becomes therefore important and influence to spread quickly also in France where it takes the name of Renaissance style and assuming toward the end of 15th century own charactheristics.
The 17th century
In the 17th century in France the Baroque was imposed by the style of King Luigi XIII; it was characterized by the exhuberance of adorned detail and from the research of new decorative and fantastic aspects which stimulate the employement of precious materials.Baroque furniture was of imponent dimensions and it leaves gradually straight line for one curved and broken; in comparison to previous century, it is different from a sensitive reduction of the thickness wood and for a great precision in the assemblage of different elements.The greater part of the joints is still stopped with trunkconical thorns, but it’s spreading the use of the glue for giving a best resistence. It is always used nails with square section, but their heads become thinner and flatter and nails are planted “at traitor” (transversely), with the tip that spells out from wood then to be beaten again, so it increases the resistance.In the 17th century it increases decorative emphasize of late Renaissance and of Mannerism in which prevails turned element and heavy frame, while in the meantime, it is used a lot coverings and tarsus.The big spreading of press book allowed the use of bookcases into domestic furniture such as the sofa, which was unknown before it. Curved shapes and very rich decorations with big employement of sculptures and precious materials (gold, silver, lacquer and ivory) for decoration.Golden woods are very spread, while pannels with semi- precious stones and applications of golden bronze are used for wardrobes, they often become a truly art works with marble and precious paintings. In this period it compares the first writing-desk with smooth surface and drawers placing as frieze of furniture, it spreads the lathe decoration for legs of table and chairs. It is begun to do a clean distinction between chairs and easy-chairs: the backs of chairs are usually low except of representation chairs, in addition stuffing substitutes wood seats.In Italy the shapes “at volute” and wavy surfaces are used a lot of for furnitures of Roman area, the use of carved panels in Piemonte, the exhuberant carving in Veneto and Liguria. For decoration of Italian baroc furniture, there are many themes which recall the element of water: newt, shells, sea-horses in particular in Venetian furnitures.In the second half of the 17th century with the style of the king Luigi XIV, French production of furniture takes its own identity and stylistic homogeneity. Furniture becomes a real monument to pomposity, the furnishes are richly decorated and carved, the technic of inlay becomes more refined.The technic of building becomes more accurate, it make use of joint manufactured with extreme care, it is abundant the use of glue, and when the thorns are used they assume cylindrical shape and no more trunkconical. Even nails have rounded head and a leg with circular section. The tools employed in the manufacturing are different, they became more accurate and developed: they compare tools for trine sizes such as plane with straight blade to level floors; a “voltino” it’is a saw with tight blade to shape curved parts, “fustella” to cut again geometric inlays and hacksaw for piercing more complex inlays. A great care is given for smoothing and for polishing, it begins to spread the use of French polish, a resin dilute with alcohol which is completed again with wax composed by bee wax.The choice of wood is varied even if common wood is chestnut and it compare a new manufacturing technique such as plugging (a covering with plateus of precious wood), incrustation (tarsus with different wood material, such as ivory mother-of.-pearl and metal) and marqueterie.The large chest (commode) becomes more spreading for underwear even if other wardrobes (armoires) are built constantly.Furnitures to sit always become more refined: seats are huge, with arms heavily carved so they are uncomfortable while it’s spreading the use of straps to support the covering of chairs. That straps substitute the rigid system of nailed down bands. It is created a particular armchair called “canapé” in which two or three people can sit.In the furniture of bedrooms it compares a night table, it is a small chest with three or four drawers, it was used whether a case or shelf. In addition it compares a little table called “ consolle”. It is a wall table, it has an ornamental function. Tables have legs traversus and bends very decorated. Materials more employed are wood, marble and bronze.Through the combination of different materials such as : ebony, tortoise, brass, pewter and mother-of-pearl, with them it can obtain images of great decorative value.A theme very spread is “singeries”, they are scenes which represent monkey which are imitating human gestures. In this period in France compares the lacquer, it is a new material imported from outmost Eastern which will be used a lot in the following century.
The 18th century
In France the style “ Regency” is the period of the history of the piece of furniture that starts in the beginning of the century until 1730, it indicates the passage from Luigi XIV style to Luigi XV; it’s a transition style that lacks an easy individualistic appearance where curves and countercurves matches perfectly with corners and straight lines, the stylization of the decorations always refers to nature.In England this expression adopts the typical characteristics of the Queen Anne style, it is composed by comfort and discreet decoration but it is exhausted in a short time. From 1740 the taste Ròcoco spreads through out Europe, it was a true triumph of the imagination and absolute expressive freedom; sometimes it translates in true and own national styles.These things happen in France with the style of Luigi XV who introduces precise formal characteristics : asymmetry, deformation, movement and naturalism. It’ is in this period that realizes a great amount of furnitures often joint a single function and of small dimensions, so it developes a huge tipology.With perfect synthesis of shape and decoration, the style of Luigi XV entrusts to the design also choice of wood that are cut and approached for exalting, with chromatic plated tons and effects of penumbra the compositive patterns. They become of great fashion the slabbed panels, the lacquered panels and variously coloured.The technique uses the same tools of the previous century, even if the instruments of carving become more numerous and provided of thinner and sharpened blades for realizing more determined and clearer reliefs. It develops the tendency to hide reliefs constructive elements: nails with rectangular head, they are forged in several measures to adapt themselves to the several parts of the pieces furniture; the joints are like tail-swallow and thickness of the wood reduces. The seats have curved legs, they lost underblankets and covering, so becoming very comfortable. The floral carvings are spread a lot, the studs and locks have floral and asymmetrical themes.In this period furniture box more important than other is large case that can have three drawers with small legs with two or four drawers put on two lines and with long legs. A variant of that type is a “cantoniera”. A writing-desk are diffused widely in particular the one called “at flap”.In this period it was born the “pettineuse” and pool table. The pettineuse is as a little desk with false drawers and the access to partition for cosmetics passes from superior part through souls; that one centre is composed by a mirror hinged which can assume several positions. The pool table is similar to console for shape and decoration. It developes in different types, hinged, to accordion at telescope and drawer.In England between 1760 and 1790 there is the style of Thomas Chippendale, which joins elements of Ròcoco, Gothic and Chinese. A typical characteristic of Chippendale furniture is the employement of mahogany imported from Cuba and decorated with thin inlays, the use of urns, clusters of berries, leonine heads.In Italy Rococò, even called “barocchetto”, affirms in late and it properly refers to Luigi XV. In Venice lacquered furniture: the colour, tempera, it is spread on the plaster surface and fixed with “sandracca”, it is a transparent resin which oxidizes, by the time, and assumes a yellow colour. It’s asserted also the colour black from China, it is a variety of eastern lacquering realized even with red tonality, it proposes themes and exotic subjects with decorated themes.After a brief period called “transiction”, in the end o 18th century there is a new interest for Greek and Roman classic art for discoveries of excavations of Pompei and Herculaneum.In France Neoclassic style adopts the shapes of Luigi XVI style.The line is straight, decorative elements are reduced, they refer to ancient figures, panels are generally lacquered with black and gold, smooth covering and the use of white.For framing the surfaces of furnitures it uses slabbing and technic of inlays; little mosaics in which tesseras are arranged inside of drawing with different vains so it creates play of light and effects of penumbra. It is used an huge variety of woods (until one hundred different qualities) and pictorial values are exalted by spirit polishing, it is a polish solution which is spread with a pad until ten hands following, so it can be obtained polishing similar to a mirror.The thickness of wood, whether for the structure or for slabs, they become more reduced. The elements of the piece of the furniture are linked with long and subtle nails and with inlays, the outfit is assured by the use of resistant glue.Much care in the manufacturing is committed for smoothing, for which now there is sandpaper (it’s a new abrasive instrument obtained through adherence with adhesive, between sands of different grained on thin cardoboard).Under English influence it’s spread the mahogany “impiallacciature” which substitute more little and imaginative inlays for many furnitures. The legs of the furnitures had straight shapes, underlined by groves or ascending spirals, they are applied gold bronze in strips or rectangles.The furniture of this period is the “secrétaire”, furnished of different drawers, little doors, secret vains and a “calatoio” (it’s a shelf that is pulled down) used as a plan of support for writing. In the end of century it develops the style called “Directory” which is linked to classicism more academic and more theatrical.In Italy Neocalssicism is approached more to style of Imperial Age than one Greek-Roman and it is distinguished for an stateliness without too decorations. In Florence it becomes to use an economic material for shelves of tables, a marble pasta, coronary grass; in Milan “Giuseppe Maggiolini “ (1738-1814), one of the best inlayers cabinet-makers of that period, he applied to his manufacturing, a soft and measured classicism and strictly rectangular, a covering probing and narrower.
The 19th century
With the advent of the Napoleone Empire, “Empire style” is assested. In this period the production of furnitures assumes a double character for court, with a great abundance and variety of decoration and for high bourgeoisie there is a greater simplicity. The Empire style recalls the importance of Greek and Roman antiquity and richness of Egyptian decoration, with sphinxes and winged lions that refer to the campaigns of Napoleone in Egypt.Woods more used are mahogany and rosewood, the wood silk and the golden bronze are also enough spread. The slabs are now reduced to approximately a millimetre of thickness and the brass is used like an element of contrast for inlays, handles, feet.That style is also spread in Italy until 1830 and in other countries of Europe, at first on the French imitation then elaborating some independent shapes. Such procedures is emphasized more in Austria where, having previously accepted German Empire style (called Zopfstil), everything is dissolved in a style that preannounces the Biedermeier.In England, Regency style prevails that will last until the 1825, whose shapes more refined can be found in the simpler furnitures assigned to the middle class and for aristocracy.For bourgeoisie the furnitures are thought for a greater practicalness. They assert the style of King Carlo V characterized of prevailing use of clear woods with light tarsus ; Luigi Filippo resumes elements joined to the past with romantic reasons.While in Italy the Empire style is simplified with French example; in England “ The Regency” is transformed slowly in the Victorian style that resumes the themes of the style of past and develops the use of metals, in particular the iron for the construction of beds and for furnitures for garden.In Austria it develops an independent style, The Biedermeier, which is characterized by an extreme simplicity and functionality, that in a brief time spreads in the north of Europe until Russia.In the second half of 18th century there is a return of style of six hundred century and seven century. Even the choice of materials becomes heterogenous beyond the wood, in the manufacturing of furnitures it is used the papier-machè and cast iron. For seats the padding is used a lot, the drawing-rooms and dining-rooms are smothered with heavy hangings.In France, through a rework of Renaissance and Baroque themes, it is arrived to Napoleon style characterized from prevalence of black colour and from paddings. Italy follows the country from other side of the Alps referring to the models of Tuscany Renaissance and Baroque Roman, while in England there is a resumption of the style “ Queen Anne”.In the area of “German language” the figures of Thonet becomes predominant, it developes with an innovative way the modern seat that refers to canons of practicalness and lightness.During the last few years of 19th century the style called “Art Nouveau” spreads fastly, it assumes differents aspects in the different nations. In France the lines come from vegetable world and decoration becomes a symbol of structure. A characteristic of that style is the reference to subtle lines, to the waved decoration and a languid elegance.The fashion of the age was the reference to abstract drawings, based on to interlaces of lines, and painted decorations often represent human figures dancing, naked or wound into flimsy tissues.In England that monument is called “ Liberty”, in Belgium “ Modern Style”, in Austria and in German it assumes more geometric aspects. In Italy that style called “ Floral” refers itself to French and Austrian tendencies.
The 20th century
Con l'inizio del nuovo secolo si affermano le avanguardie stilistiche in una ricerca di nuovi indirizzi. In Francia si diffonde lo stile Art Déco con mobili essenziali, rigidi e colorati. Si ripropongono le vecchie tecniche di decorazione, come la lacca, il cuoio inciso e colorato, nascono nuove impiallacciature con lo zigrino e il vetro che vanno a rivestire le superfici lignee. Le forme dei mobili diventano stilizzate, geometriche e monumentali. Si affermano tre nuovi tipi di mobili: l'armadietto da cocktail, il mobile per la radio e per il grammofono. In Germania il razionalismo dei modelli disegnati da Le Corbusier, che realizza un’estrema semplificazione nei suoi mobili non concedendo nulla alla decorazione, si trasforma nel nuovo mobilio in tubi di acciaio che sopravvive fino ai giorni nostri. L'Italia sviluppa una produzione indipendente che trova la sua massima espressione nella figura di Giò Ponti.
Nel secondo dopoguerra la produzione del mobilio vede emergere, oltre al gusto tipicamente scandinavo, il design italiano che negli anni Cinquanta presenta figure decisamente all'avanguardia come Ponti, Mollino e Castiglioni. In seguito i gruppi d'avanguardia Neo-Liberty, Pop-art e Post-Modern, svilupperanno ricerche formali per arrivare a mobili sempre nuovi e diversi.