The type, quantity, function, form, style and production level of furniture as well as the occupation at that time also reflect the social life style, the level of social material civilization and the historical and cultural characteristics of a country and region in a certain historical period. Furniture is the symbol of the development level of social productive forces in a certain country or region in a certain historical period, the epitome of a certain way of life, and the manifestation of a certain cultural form. Therefore, furniture embodies rich and profound sociality.

The appearance form of furniture is directly displayed in front of users, which is the intuitive expression of function and structure. The appearance of furniture depends on its structure, especially the external structure. However, there is no corresponding relationship between appearance form and structure. Different appearance forms can be represented by the same structure. For example, the basic structure of the dressing table is the same, but its appearance forms are various.