The Haute Époque encompasses over ten centuries of history. Before the seventeenth century, the art de vivre favoured utility over comfort, and functionality over aesthetics. Painting and sculpture made the Haute Époque an illustrious era. The furniture adopted solid and simple forms without excessive ornamentation. The design of furniture was influenced by architecture and the church. The lines were straight, the forms were geometric, and the angles were acute.
The furniture was rustic and made from local wood varieties: the furniture of the period largely consisted of chests. From the simple chest to the chest ornamented with marquetry containing diamond-shaped motifs, chests enabled people to store things, eat, sit, and sleep. Most of the existing pieces of furniture were made for churches: the monastery table, the cathedra (bishop’s throne), and chayères (ceremonial chairs). Tables were often composed of heavy, hand-cut planks and trestles.
