Ancient furniture was made from many different materials, including reeds, wood, stone, metals, straws, and ivory. The furniture was decorated through processes like upholstery, inlaying, and through the use of finials.
It was common for ancient furniture to have religious or symbolic purposes. The Incans had chacmools which were dedicated to sacrifice. Similarly, in Dilmun they had sacrificial altars. In many civilizations, certain types of furniture were reserved for upper-class citizens. Stools and thrones made for nobility in Ancient Egypt were made of fine imported wood, occasionally animal bone, and were painted, gilded, and inlaid with metals. In Mesopotamia, tables were decorated with expensive metals, chairs would be padded with felt, rushes, and upholstery. Some chairs had metal inlays.
