History of Furniture

Research:

Objects:

1. Chair.

2. Window.

3. Rack.

1. Chair:

The simple definition of a chair as a movable seat, with a back, for a single person gives no indication of the truly vast range of objects that qualify under this description. Furthermore, few people today are aware of the fact that for much of its history -- and chairs go back through classical times to the time of the pharaohs — the chair was reserved for kings, lords, and bishops; ordinary folk sat on backless chests, benches, or stools.

The word chair derives from the Latin cathedra, hence the designation of a church that was the seat of a bishop as a cathedral. Medieval chairs, religious or secular, were large framed affairs often with linen fold panels, and frequently provided with a canopy or tester, typically placed on a dais to further emphasize the importance of the occupant.

The box-like construction of these frame-and-panel chairs became lighter with time, as did another ancient type known as the curule, an X-shaped chair used since Roman times, remarkably similar to many of today’s folding lawn chairs.

Simultaneously, turned chairs, or “throwne” chairs as they were known, became common, partly due to the fact that various trade guilds restricted particular construction techniques such as turning and joinery to separate craftsmen.

Rich carving and polychromatic surface treatments were typical of chairs reserved for important people, but by the mid-17th century, as chairs became more common and very often upholstered, they became both lighter and smaller. Chairs from the Age of Walnut display an open framework, utilizing various systems of stretchers, often combining a great deal of carving with turned and profiled elements.

The French are generally credited with having developed the first truly lightweight and comfortable chairs, from which a whole class of upholstered chairs has developed, including sleeping chairs, armchairs, wing chairs, and a variety of chairs characterized by seat...