IAR 1201

FURNITURE HISTORY
Week 2
Lecture 2

PREHISTORIC
MESOPOTAMIA

MODULE TEACHER : AR. Mohiuddin Akhand

PREHISTORIC FURNITURE
 PREHISTORIC FURNITURE

• most evidence of the prehistoric time period is lost due to the

decomposable materials used: such as twigs, branches, leaves, brush,
dirt, and rock.

• There are two simple forms of primitive furniture: Platform and Box.
Platform furniture came in the form of tables, stool, chairs, and beds. Box
furniture came in the form of a chest, a cupboard, or wardrobe spot.
PREHISTORIC FURNITURE :example

• The oldest pieces of furniture in the world are located in a

Neolithic settlement in today's Scotland, known as Skara
Brae.
• a series of beds, wardrobes, and shelves for dishes, all made
of stone,are found dating from around 3100-2500 BC.
• It is estimated that the Neolithic setting was inhabited 5 000
years ago (3200 – 2500 BC).
• people were just starting to settle down so their homes
were made of stone and had whalebone and turf roofs only
• But what is truly remarkable there is the furniture – other
than the fact that those people adapted and built it out of
rock because they lacked wood, the variety of furniture
pieces was beyond beds and stools, which are more about
necessity, they also had shelves, cupboards and even
dressers.
• In fact, the dressers seem to have been quite important
since they were symbolically placed facing the entrance, so
that they were the first thing to be seen when entering the
hut.
PREHISTORIC FURNITURE :example

duho stool sculpted to have the head of a turtle. The

material used is stone and the stool is only wide enough to
sit.
(This wooden seat was used by chiefs in the Caribbean Taino
culture during ceremonial communication with the spirit world)
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAN FURNITURE
• No furniture from those times has survived, we have to depend
on its depiction in works of art which range from tiny cylindrical
seals to large scale bas-reliefs.
• These do not provide us with any details of materials and
construction techniques employed, but, mercifully, depict the
social context in which a particular piece of furniture was used.
• From the Assyrian records we learn that Mesopotamian furniture
was similar to Egyptian furniture. Although, it was heavier and had
more curves then Egyptian furniture.
Sumeria
Materials

• Most Sumerian furniture was constructed out of wood, reeds, and other perishable
materials.
• Sumerian records mention many kinds of wood. Such as
• Halub wood: used to make beds, bedframes, furniture legs, chairs, foot-stools, baskets,
containers, drinking vessels, and other prestigious goods.
• Kusakbu wood, which was either teak or mangrove wood, could be used for inlaying thrones
with lapis lazuli.
• Sulum Meluhi wood may have been ebony.
• Date palm wood was imported from Meluhha.
• Bamboo or Sugarcane from Magan was used by Sumerians. They described it as "reeds
bundled together to look like wood

• Felt, rushes, leather, skin, and wool were used to make materials such as padding and rugs.
• Metals such as bronze, copper, silver, and gold could be used for inlaying.
Chairs

• During this period of Sumerian history chairs were

not used by the majority of people. Most people
simply sat on the floor.
• Beds, stools, and chairs made of palmwood or
woven reeds were used in Sumeria.
• Wealthy citizens would have chairs padded with
felt, rushes, and leather upholstery.
• The most expensive chairs were inlaid with
bronze, copper, silver, and gold.
• Chairs would also have brightly colored wooden
and ivory finials depicting arms and bull's heads.
Sometimes these finials would be cast-bronze or
carved-bone.
The Royal Standard of Ur showcases the king of Ur on a low-
back chair with animal legs. The seats depicted on the Royal
Standard were likely made of Rush and Cane.
Beds

• Although there were beds in Sumeria, most

people slept on the floor rather than beds.
• The Sumerian bed was a wooden bed on a
wooden frame.
• The bed frame was a tall head-board
decorated with pictures of birds and flowers.
• Sometimes the bed's leg would be inlaid with
precious metals and shaped to look like
animal's paws.
• Wealthy Mesopotamians had beds with
wooden frames and mattresses stuffed with
cloth, goat's hair, wool, or linen.
Babylonia

• main sources for Babylonian furniture are textual and a few

seals and terracottas.
• One Babylonian text mentions large and small chests, as
well as 60 different types of chairs. Each chair was of a
different usage and materials.
• The source mentions the footstool, Beds (are described as
"to sit on, to lie on, of reeds, with oxen-feet, with goat's hair,
stuffed with wool, stuffed with goat hair, of Sumerian type,"
and "of Akkadian type" ) chests to store textiles, clothing,
chairs and stools.

• chairs from depictions would often have their legs carved in

the shape of claws, paws, or oxen-feet. Chairs from the Old
and Middle Babylonian period had curved backs.
• Some plaques from the reign of Gudea showcase chairs
with sloped backs. The beds would have been made of clay
and had rectangular bed frames.
• Babylonian tables would be covered or inlaid with ivory.
• Some household items include vessels for oil, wine, beer,
and honey.
• Other household items include ladders, bowls, bowls,
mortars, pestles, reed-mats, cushions, tables, chairs,
grindstones, ovens, and furnaces.
• Reeds and palm branches were common materials used to
make cheap everyday products such as mats, screens,
boxes, containers, baskets, and colanders.
• Clay was a much more common material. It was used to
make plates, jars, jugs, storage, and cooking tools.
• Metal, especially copper, was used to make cooking pots,
mortars, and iron implements in mills

• The Babylonians were highly specialized in carpentry and

"cabinet-making": they would export furniture to the
Assyrians and other civilizations. The most elaborate pieces
were found in temples.
Assyria
• In Ancient Assyria plaques would be used as furniture. The Ancient
Assyrians had carved ivory pieces. They were used to make fan handles,
boxes, and furniture inlays.
• was a wide variety of Assyrian chairs. Some chairs had backs and arms,
some resembled a footstool. Sometimes Assyrian chairs would be placed
so high a footstool was required to sit on them.
• Chairs and footstool would be furnished with cushions covered in
tapestries.
• Poorer Assyrians would have a single mattress instead of a bed. Assyrian
tables had four legs, often these legs would be inlaid with ivory. Other
metals could be inlaid into chairs and sofas.
• Households would also have bronze tripods for the purpose of holding
vases of wine and water..

https://www.northernarchitecture.us/interior-design-2/space-
planning-furniture-and-design-in-antiquity.html
in a relief where king Assurbanipal (662 to 627 BC.) is
depicted feasting in the royal gardens after vanquishing
the king of Elam. He reclines on a high couch, high to
honour the king’s dignity and easy serviceability, with a
table beside him. The queen sits in a high armchair
facing him needing a footstool due to height of the
chair. There is another serving table.
Household furniture
It was uncommon for most houses to have a lot of furniture as most furniture was reserved
for the wealthy.[
The majority of furniture in Sumeria was made of wicker wood.Storage chests were common.
Chests could be made from reed or wood. Some were elaborately carved. Stools, tables, and
reed mats were also common. Tables were used to hold meals or belongings. Wealthy
Mesopotamians would decorate their tables with metals. Aside from chests and tables
people would use baskets made of reed, wicker wood, or straw; and bins made of sun-dried
clay, palmwood, or reeds for storage.[1][22] Sumerians would have household vessels made
of clay, stone copper, and bronze. Braziers burning animal dung were used to heat
homes.[18] People would light their houses by placing a wick made of reed or wool in
sesame seed oil then lighting it.[7] Statues would usually be hidden inside houses in order to
ward off evil spirits.[7] In Mesopotamian art, gods would often be depicted sitting on
mountains or heaps of produce. Some gods could be depicted as sitting on stools. These
stools might represent temples or the god's seat on Earth.[23] In Ancient Sumeria doors
would be made out of wood or red ox-hide.[24] A variety of furniture dedicated to relaxing
existed in Ancient Mesopotamia. Some ancient art depicts people lounging on sofas.[25] The
legs of the sofas had iron panels that depicted women and lions.[7] In Mesopotamia
bathrooms would have had bathtubs, stools, jars, mirrors, and large water pitchers
occasionally with a pottery dipper. Rich Sumerians would have toilets and proper drainage
systems