What is the Oldest Piece of Furniture in the World?


Furniture, unlike most of your home items, is one of the few things you can pass from one generation to another generations. There are some pieces of furniture that will withstand the test of time without losing their quality or getting worse. I found some of the long-lasting pieces of furniture here that have impressed everyone which I’m confident you will love as well.

Some of these oldest pieces of furniture have been of great use in creating antique designs in most homes. People keep referring to such designs to gain an antique look, which in the modern age is a rare thing to find.

As a matter of fact, the oldest pieces of furniture have now turned out to be furniture for the rich.

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The surprising thing about the oldest piece of furniture is their unique design. It still amazes most people how such a piece of furniture got crafted, considering that technology was not the topic of the day as it is currently in this age. I bet that’s the reason why the phrase Old is Gold never seizes to make sense.

The Oldest Piece of Furniture in the World

Wooden Mausoleum in Gordion

Tracking of the oldest piece of furniture in the world has its traces back to 2700 years. The oldest piece of furniture is an amazing wooden mausoleum piece of furniture in Gordion (Present-day; Ankara in Turkey) at the cemetery of Midas.

This oldest piece of furniture in the world was made through the use of wood piling techniques being more than 2700 years old. Some of the materials used are old spruce, yew, and juniper wood.

I at one point questioned how to retain my furniture for a long period of time and the only thing if found is to ensure I use Solid Wood on my furniture. This has proved to give the best results as now my pieces of furniture are counting years without losing quality. Here is where I got this solid wood for lasting durability.

These types of wood used in making the oldest piece of furniture in the world gave it a unique look together with high durability. The spruce, yew, and juniper wood used were 800 years old, contributing to the high durability of this oldest piece of furniture.

This oldest piece of furniture contains an elegant tumulus globally with a measurement of 300m caliber and 55m height. It was found covered by soil, having stayed for 2700 years without getting rotten.

There are several reasons believed to lead this furniture not to have rotten despite being in the soil for a very long period of time. First, it is believed that the dry climate in the area the furniture was found contributed to a high extent.

Furthermore, the furniture remained buried for millennia with no disturbance as it was in the graves of legendary Frigian King, where there was no disturbance such as from thieves.

Not to conclude, there are several other oldest pieces of furniture in the world traced to have passed the test of time. This is as discussed below;

The Egyptian Table

Egypt is known to have a history in the ancient period. Following its location in the desert environment, there was a scarcity of wood for making furniture in Egypt. As a result of this, furniture in Egypt was meant for royalty uses on powerful individuals only.

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With this, there are several tables whose traces date more than 2,000 BCE. Like the furniture from Gordion, these pieces of furniture have no disturbance as they are normally located in tombs for powerful figures.

Westminster Abbey Door

This has been one of the oldest pieces of furniture in the world through which its wooden artifact is still intact. This door has been dated to be in existence for more than 950 years.

It is said to have its fragments fastened in the front to be the flayed human skin though proved to be cowhide segments.

The St. Augustine Chair

This chair is dated to be in the 13th Century and taken to be one of the oldest pieces of furniture in the world. It is not used currently though taken as a good example for craftsmen on the long-lasting craftsmanship.

The 400 Year Bed

This bed has been one of the oldest pieces of furniture in the world. The 400-year-old bed has been used by 15 generations of the Berkeley family without losing its strength and elegance. This bed is located in Gloucestershire in Berkely Castle Estate since 1608.

This bed is believed to have its constructed in the 16th Century with high crafting by use of strong wood. This bed is located in the United Kingdom, and historians believe that the royal arms in this bed are those of the Stuart Monarchy.

Furthermore, this bed also contains a male as well as a female figure on its pedestals. It is believed that these figures represent the 7th Baron Berkeley, known as Henry Berkeley, together with his second wife, known as Jane.

The 400-year-old bed has amazing crafting proving British furniture to have high durability together with high craftsmanship.

What is the Oldest Chair in the World?

The oldest chair in the world has been traced from Ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt was known to have the origin of chairs from which it then spread globally and found a common use by the 13th Century.

The Chair of St. Augustine

The surviving oldest chair in the world is the St. Augustine Chair from medieval Europe. It is dated to have its existence since the 13th Century.

One of the reasons leading to the long-lasting period of this chair is due to having an association with royalty. However, this chair is not in use currently.

Furthermore, most of the medieval European chairs found to be the oldest often have ornate works following the high craftsmanship used in making these chairs.

Other oldest chairs in the world include the following;

Chair of Dagobert

This chair is located in Louvre, being one of the oldest chairs in the world. Though it lost some of its parts, Its age is unclear through which it has much discussion on the time of its existence.

As a result of this, from the discussions, it has been dated to be in the early Merovingian times and taken to be one of the oldest chairs in the world that are surviving.

This chair is of cast bronze, with a sharpened chisel shape with some partial gilt. The legs supporting this chair terminate in the heads and feet of animals.

Chair of Glastonbury

This chair is taken to be one of the oldest chairs in the world. This chair came at the end of the 13th Century being an English chair for Edward 1. It still retains its folding shape acquired from its arms and the back of this chair.

This chair is made from oak wood with amazing architectural crafting. Its covering was made of the gilded gesso through the covering disappeared a long time ago.

What was the First Chair Made Out of?

With chairs being one of the oldest pieces of furniture in the world, what the first chair was made out of could be a completely different thing in the present age.

The first chair found its existence in the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt, which is in 3100 BC. During this time, a chair was invented through which they had materials, including wood.

The first chair was made out of leather or cloth placed on carved wood. The first chair was much lower than the modern chairs. These chairs could as well be made from the use of ivory and ebony that were for fashioning the chair.

What did the First Chair Look Like?

The first chair look is quite different from the modern chair. Generally, the first looked much lower compared to the current modern chair. The first chair look contained a height of only 10 inches equivalent to 25cm high.

The first chair was also fashioned with ivory and ebony. Not only this but it was also fashioned with gilded wood covered with costly materials. In addition to this, the patterns used were elegant that were supported by representations on the legs of beasts or those of the figures of captives.

The higher-ranked individuals would sit on a chair that is taller compared to those of lower ranks. The average family rarely had a chair to sit on. Furthermore, the chairs for the rich would be painted to look as if they are ornately inlaid together with being carved. However, the craftsmanship used was poor.

Final Words

In conclusion, who doesn’t have a feeling of knowing about history? Furniture has a great history, which, to many, still remains to be amazement to most.

Don’t be left behind; with the knowledge of the oldest piece of furniture, you will have all that you need to know about furniture history.

Not many pieces of furniture survive the test of time.

However, this has been different from some of the furniture, such as the amazing wooden mausoleum piece of furniture in Gordion that has been the oldest piece of furniture in the world.

Its history reads for more than 2700 years ago, with its existence being up to date. Moreover, there are several other pieces of furniture which have passed the test of time having lived for many centuries.

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