The History of Chair

Today we inaugurate a new column: every month we will publish the history of furniture and complementary furnishing items that we all have in our homes and offices, but of which we ignore the origins.

Let’s begin with a piece of furniture essential also for workaholics: the CHAIR.



The first examples of what could be called the "ancestors" of modern chairs were found in an Egyptian tomb in the Valley of the Kings and portrayed in the most ancient monuments of Nineveh, Assyria's capital. In the case of the Egyptians, they were made with precious materials such as ebony and ivory and decorated with images of animals or slaves.



For the common people, the first example of the chair in history was a primitive bench characterized by a single plank of wood on two pillars, used in Asia and Europe. It didn’t last long because it was very uncomfortable and rigid.



In Europe, it was owing in great measure to the Renaissance that the chair ceased to be a privilege of state and became a standard item of furniture for anyone who could afford to buy it. Once the idea of privilege faded, the chair speedily came into general use. We find almost at once that the chair began to change every few years to reflect the fashions of the day.
It was not until the 16th century that chairs became common. Until then, people sat on chests, benches, and stools, which were the ordinary seats of everyday life. The number of chairs which have survived from an earlier date is exceedingly limited; most examples are of ecclesiastical or seigneurial origin.



From that period on chairs have evolved rather rapidly becoming soon a mass marketed item. In modern times, the chair has become an industrial design object. Rocking chairs, cantilever chairs, monoblock chairs… We see an infinite variety of models, made of various materials and of different qualities.



But you won’t find Egyptian or Assyrian chairs in our website: come discover our selected range of design chairs to decorate your spaces with a touch of class and uniqueness. You'll find different brands, all made in Italy, gathered together to pursue only one objective: sit with style.



Italian Design Contract: CHAIRS