Antique Furiture

Antique furniture is the collective term for collectible movable objects which are old and is collected or desirable because of its age, rarity, condition, utility, or other unique features. It is an object which has reached an age which makes it a witness of a previous era in human society. Very early humans were nomads, moving from location to location, and survived from only what nature provided. Furniture to them was no more than a log to sit on. As they learned to cultivate the soil, much of their survival hunting activities ceased and their need for community work grew. They established homes (very crude by today's standards) beside their cultivated land – simple huts of wood and reed, perhaps daubed with clay or mud, and later of stone and baked clay bricks. It was this "home" and community gathering (civilization) that created the need for furniture.

Antique furniture may support the human body (desks, tables and chairs) that show some degree of craftsmanship, provide storage, or hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground. Storage furniture (dresser sets for example) is used to hold or contain smaller objects such as clothes, tools, books, and household goods. Furniture can be a product of artistic design and is 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 skillset 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.