Roman Furniture

According to Roman law, ‘furniture’ was described as ‘any apparatus belonging to the head of the household consisting of articles intended for everyday use’. Under this ambiguous description numerous household artefacts could be considered as items of furniture. However, in this first general book on Roman furniture to be published in English, a more modern view of what constitutes furniture is taken. Familiar household pieces are investigated using evidence from art, literature and archaeology. Examples will be taken from all over the empire, but there will be special emphasis on furniture used in the north-west provinces.