The San Francisco call., 1910-04-01
BRITISH MUSEUM
HAS OLD CHAIRS
Most Elaborate and Ancient Are
Those Manufactured by
the Egyptians

flODhDiN the OlUESl WOOQSH Nildii
extant are the six which were made by
the inhabitants of ancient Egypt and
which are now in the British museum.
They are about the same height as
those of the present day. One is made
of two frames. each formed of four
pieces of wood and hinged in the CEN
ter. while the seat is flexible, so as TO
fold easily The feet of the chair are
carved with the heads of animals. An
other is of ebony. the back and legs be-
ing strengthened with cane and is in
laid with dies and collars of ivory.
Greek chairs, or more properly seats,
are depicted on the Parthenon frieze.
They have the appearance of wooden
structures. but very probably they were
fashioned of bronze Some of the huge
Olympian statues are represented seat
ed in colored chairs, the bars and
frames of which are made of cedar, in
laid with sculptured plates of ivory or
gold or silver. The handsomest and
most valuable furniture of the Greeks
was made about two years before
Christ of bronze, damascened with sill
yer and gold. AS the Romans en-
ployed Greek workmen their chairs
were OF similar design to those of
DE6-CCs bul there lS OUS WIllGn OWCS itS
creation entirely to Rome, namely the
sella curulis, or official chair. kind
of glorified camp stool. inlaid with
ivory, which was carried in the char
lot and used at the baths and in the
forum. Seats of bronze were also
taken from place to place to raise the
sitter above the head of less exalted
persons An example of the .curule
chair is shown in the BayeuX tapestry.
I \ .
onation chair in Westminster abbey TO
be made. The back is gabled and
crocheted and the chair is paneled with
trecery work and rests upon carved
! lions. This chair is one of the most,
| if not the most historic in the world.
! for il has been used at the coronation
| of nearly so kings of England The
| typical William and Mary" oak chair
4 is very handsome, somewhat high
seated. and having a tall. slightly
! sloping back. The seat widens from
/ back to front, the curved arms follow
/ ing it's lines, says the London Globe
! The back of the chair is pierced and
/ richly carved with heads, crowns,
leaves and flowers in relief. The top
is surmounted by crown, supported
/ bv the royal arms. 1t is in sooth
/ right roval chair The chairs of the
/ latter half of the eighteenth century,
! designed by the famous cabinet makers
Of that period, are very graceful, dainty
and artistic, but they lack the rug
! gedness which gives a certain dignity
TO much of the older furniture. The
sedan chair, so called from having been
made at Sedan in France, was intro
duced into England in the time or
King Charles /. often this chair was
most ornate without and luxurious
within. for an ancient poet speaks OF
one
And cloth of fine gold ABOUT your mead
With damask white and azure blue
well diaper'd with lilies new.
Seated in their sedan chairs in all the
glory of paint, powder and patches, the
bellies and ladies Of fashion of the
I eighteenth century were carried from
/ rout to rout by two stout lackeys In
/ livery. These chairs We're still in use
| in the days when the Pickwlck club
flourished, and we all know how the
I fascinating Mrs. Dowler returned from
a party at o'clock in the morning, In
q sedan chair, expecting to be quietly
admitted by Mr.. Dowler, who had prom
| ised to sit up until his spouse came
| home. how not only the servants, but
Mr Dowler also were in the arms of
Porpus" as the short chairman re-
marked; how Mr. Wrinkle reused at
/ last bv the furious knocking, descended
J in dressing gown and slippers and
opened the door, with the direst conse-
/ quences!
/ The origin of the bath chair is ''wropt
/ in mystery We are told that il was
much used by the inhabitants of Bath
probably for the purpose of getting 10
/ and from the pumproom Nowadays
the use of the bath chair Is confined
| chiefly to invalids and old people, al
though the writer has a friend who de-
clares that as a cure for nervous 1rrlt-
! ability the bath chair is without a rival.
The easy chairs of the present day,
| varied as they are in size and shape,
and carefully suited to individual re-
/ auirements, may almost be described as
possessing a personality Of their own.
! Perhaps the most characteristic is the
easy chair which occupies the place of
| honor in the bachelors den, and in
which he is to be found seated in his
! hours of ease" close to the fire in win
! ter, or near the open window in sum
mer In its snug embrace his favorite
briar in his mouth, he gives himself up
| TO reverie. and at such moments is apt
| to resent intrusion. If he Is tired after
long days shooting or hunting, if he
is at variance with the world or with
/ his landlady he betakes himself to his
! faithful friend-his easy chair There
is many a man who would part from
! his furrature without pang so long as
| his easy chair was left. He is satisfied
| that it is the easiest ever made. it is
comfort materianzed, almost personi-
/ fed. When man marries he gives up
his own special easy chair, or but
rarely uses it, for his wife may and
/ frequently does, insist on banishing
that shabby old thing to the upper
regions. Maybe when in his chair
days" the idle hours increase, and mem
cries of the past crowd thick and fast
upon him, he will rescue his old friend
from Oblivion. and unrebuked once
more revel in the comfort of his own
| armchair