Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1874-01-20
uousEHOLD FURNITURE THREE
THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

or. of the world history would doubt
lee. have been very much surprised at
any of the articles found in the houses
nftc day. Helen of Troy would have
Sssn puzzled how to use sewing ma
chine, and the matrons of Thebes or
gabylon would have regarded packet
of pins as priceless luxury. LuXuri.
ans furniture was not unknown; and
there are evidences still remaining at the
time Cheops was building the great pyra-
mids in Egypt, and King David leading
The Jewish warriors in Israel, the dainty
lssyrian danes reclined in scented bou-
airs. the appointmei.ts of which would
moi be depised by modern BELLE
From the hieroglypic.covered munu-
ments of the East, 1t is shown that while
the Israelites had not advanced beyond
their coarse rug or skin, the inhabitants
of Egypt had stools. chairs, ottomans,
couches and tables; and it is known, too,
that in the residences of the rich these
pieces OF furniture were made Of the rar-
est woods, with costly carvings, and in
laid work of gold and ivory. Their
apartments were hung with eiaborately-
wrought tapestries, and similar richly
woven and embroidered stuffs covered
the seats and backs Of chairs and settees.
Their couches, we have reason to con-
clude, often served by night as bedsteads,
having cushions then laid over them
which were sometimes piled so high that
bed steps were used to get upon them.
The head-rests which with them often
served the purposes of pillows, were
short pillars, topped with pieces shaped
like o crescent, sometimes of wood and
sometimes of ivory or alabaster, with oc.
casionslly cushions fitted into their hol-
lows. The poorer folk slept in their
cloaks, with stone for their pillows, as
Jacob did when on his journey to Padan-
aram. What we know now AS the camp
chair, in which the seat Of cloth, carpet
ing, or leather permits the folding up of
this piece OF furniture, is only revival
of the style which the ancient Egyptians
had in common use Herodotus tells us
that those who lived in the marshes slept
at night in the nets with which by day
they tished. Our cane seat chairs are an
adoption from the time when strips of
leather were interlaced for the same pur-
pose. Long before the days of the first
Pharaoh the Egyptians had carved
tOuCuts, pcuStSuuS VI lIOu, uutl, ~ 10 Dt-
lieved, of bronze. Carpets were on the
floors of the wealthy. They had metal
mirrors, and great profusion of kitchen
utensils, and dishes OF oil sorts for the
table.
Nor were the Assyrians at all behind
the Egyptians in the profusion, conven-
fence, ornamentation and elegance OF
their household furniture. Among the
Assyriau sculptures, we find representa-
tlons OF double seats, some of which are
very elegantly formed. The ordinary
fashion OF the chair legs was in imitation
Of some wild animal, usually a lion, the
foot being raised and supported on q
short pin, and what is remarkable, the
skill of their present cabinet maker, even
in the early era Of Joseph, had already
done away with the necessity of uniting
the legs with bars.
At Thebes was discovered an Egyptian
chair in fine preservation, inlaid will
ivory and ebony, of very handsome form
and put together entirely with wooden
pegs. The Egyptian tables are round
square or oblong. The former, which
was their dining-table, consisted OF fla
slab, often supported by the carved
figure of captive slave, some were mad
with solid sides and some were OF ston,
or metal.
As n rule, the Egyptian bedstead, o
couches, appear to have been made o
wood, but some were constructed o
metal, the more costly being decorate,
with gold and silver. Although ther
seems to have been considerable divers
ity in the shape Of their canopies, an
the means by which they were decke
with hangings, and although they SOM
times resembled the modern -four. poster
yet generally in form they were similar
our couch. Theymanifest considerabl
amount of taste; one end was raised an
descended in a graceful curve; the leg
were some times straight, some time
curved. and their feet were oftened fasf
ioned to resemble the claws of animals
Their fittings by day seemed to hay
been different to those used at night.
the daytime there were spread over thei
coverings, on the gorgeous decoration {
which those who were able were !avis
IN their expenditure.
young English writer, describing Il
boudior of an Egyptian lady, says it wi
not devoid of an air OF luxury and rein,
ment particularly congenal to our mo,
ern taste. "a stand near the windo
supported vases of flowers which filled Il
room with delicious odors; soft carp
overspread the floors; two or three ricl
ly.carved chairs and an embroidered fa1
teul afforded easy an inviting seats, an
the lotus and papyrus were frescoed G
the walls. Besides the brazen miro
other accessories of the toilet were a
ranged on the ebony table, and box
and caskets grotesqusly carved, son
containing jewels, others furnished wi
oils aud ointment, took their place wi
quaintly-cut smelling-bottles, woode
combs, silver or bronze bodkins, an
lastly, pins and needless although Il
latter would be thought very clum