Furniture quiz

More questions about Furniture

These visible examples show the question style. LearnClash turns the full topic into ranked duels and spaced repetition.

1. 1 Easy

   Why do flat-pack bookshelves need a thin back panel?

   Answer: To prevent lateral swaying

   Why: The thin back is a shear panel that locks the box square; IKEA's new BILLY snaps it in place instead of nailing it.

2. 2 Medium

   Why did 18th-century furniture legs have ball-and-claw carvings?

   Answer: To represent dragon pearls

   Why: English carvers turned the Chinese dragon's claw into a lion's paw, a symbol of authority, while American makers reworked it into an eagle's talon.

3. 3 Hard

   What ornamental plate surrounds a keyhole on wooden furniture?

   Answer: Escutcheon

   Why: Protective metal plates prevent iron keys from scraping and chipping the delicate wood surrounding the lock.

4. 4 Easy

   What tall wooden cabinet was originally built to store armor and weapons?

   Answer: Armoire

   Why: Latin armarium meant any cupboard, for food, money or a monastery's books; English borrowed the word armoire in the 1570s.

5. 5 Medium

   Why are traditional Japanese dining tables built so low?

   Answer: Diners sit on the floor

   Why: The low chabudai only spread in the early 1900s, replacing the o-zen, a separate tray each family member ate from alone.

6. 6 Hard

   What is the main design feature of a Pembroke table?

   Answer: Two drop leaves

   Why: Its hinged support brackets are known as elbows, and the table probably takes its name from Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke.