No. 72. Coronation Chair, Westminster Abbey, 13th century.
The feudal period was not favourable to the development of domestic conditions, though considerable advance had been made by the fourteenth century, chiefly by the Italian states and in the principal cities. The importance of the latter is evidenced particularly in the City of London, with its merchant class and civic authorities, who, by reason of their wealth, attained potential political influence, the prevailing contentious conditions necessitating the continual raising of large sums of money.
Such conditions were favourable to the merchants, who, acting as bankers, supplied the means, and thus a class was established and apparently lived in profusion and some pretention to sumptuous environment.
No. 73. Bedstead and Cradle from M.S. in Bodleian Library, 14th century.
Effect of Commerce
Similar conditions to those in England prevailed on the Continent with certain local variations. A big stride was made with the development of commerce, mainly through the agency of Venetian and Flemish merchants. The effect of increasing opulence as signalised by the appearance in the home of such comfort and refinement as had formerly been possible only for princes and great nobles.
Among the luxuries imported were Oriental silks, carpets and pottery.