Furniture

Furniture is the collective term for the movable objects which support the human body (seating furniture and beds), provide storage, and hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground. Storage furniture 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, in conjunction with furnishings such as clocks and lighting, to create comfortable and convenient interior spaces. Many types of furniture contain one or more drawers and/or small doors which can be opened. Also, some furniture items can have shelves.

Selected Bibliography

• Gloag, John. A Short Dictionary of Furniture. New York: Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston, 1965.
• Hayward, Charles H., Antique or Fake?: The Making of Old Furniture. London: Evans Brothers, 1971.