News

  • 1. U.S. industrial production up 0.1% in June
    U.S. industrial production edged up 0.1 percent in June, marking the twelve straight monthly increase, but the output of the manufacturing sector dropped, the Federal Reserve reported Thursday. The June rise in industrial production -- an indicator of the output of mines, factories and utilities, followed an increase of 1.3 percent in the previo...
  • 2. S. Korea's exports surge in H1 amid economic recove
    South Korea's exports expanded 34.4 percent year-on-year in the first half on the back of an economic recovery, a government report said Thursday. According to the report by the Korea Customs Service (KCS), exports totaled a record high of 221.5 billion U.S. dollars during the January-June period, up from a 164.8 billion U.S. dollars a year ago....
  • 3. East China's Jiangsu to suffer most from cancellation of tax rebate
    East China's Jiangsu Province, a major exporter, will feel the sting the most from China's cancellation of a tax rebate Thursday. China's Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration will cancel export tax rebates for 406 commodities, including steel, nonferrous metal building materials and chemicals, from July 15, as China draws do...
  • 4. Shanghai port container throughput up 19% in 1H
    Shanghai port reported an 18.8-percent year-on-year rise in container throughput in the first half amid strong economic recovery and booming trade. The country's largest port handled a record 13.86 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) containers, the Shanghai border inspection authorities said Thursday in a statement. The port's contain...
  • 5. Poland's presidential elections begin
    Poland's presidential elections began on Sunday with a likely second round scheduled for July 4. The vote started at 06:00 local time (0400 GMT), ending at 20:00 (1800 GMT), with the participation of more than 30 million voters in 25 774 polling stations across the country. The results at the bottom of the polls would be revealed at the close of...
  • 6. Two killed, 19 wounded in explosions in Afghanistan
    Two explosions rocked on Sunday in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, killing two civilians and leaving 19 others injured, officials said. "The first explosion took place in front of a bank and killed a child and wounded 14 people, all civilians," he told Xinhua the provincial administration spokesman Daud Ahmadi. The second ...
Antique furniture

Antique furniture is the term for collectible interior furnishings of considerable age; often its age, rarity, condition, utility, or other unique features makes the furniture desirable.

Antique furniture may support the human body (such as seating or beds), provide storage, or hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground. Storage furniture (which often makes use of doors, drawers, and shelves) is used to hold or contain smaller objects such as clothes, tools, books, and household goods. Furniture can be a product of artistic design and is considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. Domestic furniture works to create, in conjunction with furnishings such as clocks and lighting, comfortable and convenient interior spaces. Furniture can be made from many materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. Cabinetry and cabinet making are terms for the skill set used in the building of furniture.

The earliest furniture was understandably very primitive and only practical, but gradually the furniture also began to have more importance and it became decorated. At this point, furniture became an early status symbol. Wealthy homeowners became more refined and demanded that their furnishings reflect their status and lifestyles.