The Ancient History of Chairs

Chairs are the most common form of furniture thatchairs were produced. In Italy, many pieces of furniture
can be found anywhere as long as there are people.were the work of sculptors like the famous Andrea
A chair has four legs for it to support the person sittingBrustolon which featured the carving Negro boys with
on it and most are intended for one person. Classic orheads as an arm and legs carved as tree trunks and
modern types of chairs will forever be useful as theybranches. While in France, it paved the way to more
in one's home, establishment, or any place.luxurious padding and carved arms ending in scrolls or
As far as history is concerned, Egyptian chairs are theanimal heads. These luxurious chairs were imported to
most ancient chairs in the third dynasty of ancientEngland but had to be modified for English tastes.
Egypt. The legs are shaped like those of animals. TheThus a finely carved front stretcher became
seats were corded in the wood and topped with afashionable. American furniture on the other hand
cushion. One of the most elegant chair designs is theadapted simplified versions of English styles from the
Empire chair in the form of a Greek klismos. The seatlate 17th century. Windsor chairs were particularly
was supported by sharply curved legs pointing to thepopular in the 18th century and were developed to a
feet.greater degree in America than in England. But England
The 14th and 15th centuries in Western Europe gaveand France continued to dominate chair fashions
rise to the Renaissance chairs. These have twothroughout the 19th century but these styles were
principal varieties. The light chair which can easily belargely adaptations of those previous eras. Until now,
moved and the heavy chair which is usually athese chairs have continuously developed and been
throne-like seat that is used by the head of themodified to suit a person's preferred design.
household or somebody important like a high rankingThe great evolution of chairs has been helpful for
person. During England in the 16th century, chairs begancreating new designs, styles and sizes. Materials have
to depend mostly on upholstery for decoration whichalso been modified to build new types of chairs. A
introduced this new feature of the chair.plastic chair can be an example of this. But the
In the 17th century large numbers of richly carvedelegance of the chair will always remain.