This chair dates back to ancient Egypt, where they were used as folding stools. This particular one was reused as a folding chair for everyday use in medieval Italy and spread throughout Europe during the Renaissance. This chair was an attempt to revive the ancient Egyptian type during the Renaissance period, is known by the name Savonarola, which derives from a similar type of chair found in the monastery of San Marco in Florence, which was used by Italian priest Girolamo Savonarola in the 15th century. Instead of four legs, this type of chair consists of a series of narrow wooden curves joined in the centre. The back is decorated with two carved wood peacocks. Because of the elaborate design, these chairs were also called throne chairs. In most cases, they were designed to fold up for easy transport when additional chairs were needed for special events.
This is a preview of a reconstructed model from the George and Nefeli Giabra Pierides Ethnographic Collection at Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation.
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