Italian Furniture A Brief History
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011There is a history of Italian furniture in which one encounters a wide diversity of style and design. On the one hand one finds the style of furniture that was produced in ancient Rome to be conversely simple next to the highly complex and intricate nature of the architecture of the period. Quite simply, the architecture, displaying spectacular combinations of elaborate columns, frescoes and fountains, was seen as eye-catching enough for the furniture to be made purely 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.
This modern style of Tuscany dates from around the 14th century, a time that bore witness to some major artistic and architectural changes. Thus the furniture of modern Italy tends to be placed into the genres of either Renaissance, Baroque or perhaps Rococo, which were the movements that followed this change.
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.
When inside the Roman household, especially at meal time, one could always tell the social standing of a person by the place they were sat. Basically the more important you were, the higher the couch you were entitled to. Women as a rule would have to sit upright during meals not only to avoid appearing unfeminine but also to indicate their subservience.
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.
So a rich and diverse history is behind the changing styles of Italian modern furniture Toronto. Throughout this history, however, it is evident that the skillful craftsmanship used to carefully construct each piece has never faltered. Suite 22 Interiors 160 Bullock Dr., Markham, ON L3P 1W2, Canada (905) 554-6084
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