Ancient Egyptians used furniture made from alternatives to scarce timber, such as reeds, alabaster, leather, and ceramics. Common people had storage units and low stools, while nobility had more decorated furnishings. Tables were rarely used for household chores and were often made for burial offerings.
The noble and common people of Ancient Egypt used very different furniture. In general, as timber was very scarce in the Nile Delta, furniture was built with alternatives to wood such as reeds, alabaster, leather and ceramics. The Egyptians didn’t use many surfaces, such as tables or chairs or counters, but nearly every household had storage units and low stools.
Working and cooking on land was not considered inconvenient by ordinary people. They knelt or crouched on a mat made of papyrus or linen. All of their belongings were carefully protected from dirt and rodents in sealed containers. Food, jewelry, and clothing were stored out of sight in covered jars, woven baskets, or small wooden boxes with hinged lids. These were undecorated and utilitarian. To sleep, they lay down on mats or thin mattresses of ticking grass. They had no pillows, but rested on a raised, curved support that cradled their heads. Short, three- or four-legged stools might just be three curved sticks tied together with animal skin or woven reeds.
The nobility enjoyed higher and more decorated furnishings. This royal furniture, stored in many burial chambers, included armchairs, tables, giant boxes, and bed frames. First, they had access to more wood, so their furniture looks familiar to the modern eye. Carpenters used dowel joints and right angles. However, chairs and tables were even lower off the ground to account for the small stature of the Egyptians. Instead of rush seats, they could afford soft leather. Every surface was decorated with elaborate alabaster marquetry, gold leaf and gilding designs, or bejeweled embellishments.
Even among the wealthy, the tables were rarely used for household chores. Instead, archaeologists believe these tables were made specifically for burial to elevate the offerings above ground. Jewellery, incense and food were arranged on these beautiful tables to provide for the deceased in the afterlife. Often the table legs are carved into animals. When left undisturbed in sealed chambers within the pyramids, these pieces of furniture are very well preserved and can tell us a lot about the daily life and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians.
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