CHAIRS—AND CHAIRS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 613, 18 August 1933, Page 2

CHAIRS—AND CHAIRS

CHAJNGING STYLE§ FURNITURE FASHION^ IN THE EARLY DAYS. THE EVOLUTION OF COMFORlY One of the very many things which we now take for granted is that -we will be provided with a chair upon all occasions. Even if a chair is not very "easy," if it has a back against which to lean it -is more restful than a backless. hench. Bu-t in the fourteenth, fifteenth, and even the sixteenth centuries rough bench'es, stools and chests were used by all -but the high and great. The king, the nohle, and the Church dignit.ary were the only ones for whom chairs were provided. These chairs were great, heavy, almost throne-like structures, which rquired the assistance of a few henchmen to move. The scarcity of chairs has unconsciously been noted from time to# time in history. For instance, the her-ald who aceomp.anied Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, on her journeyj to Sco:tland to marry ^Tames 'the Fourth in 1503, relates that when the King came to supper at the castle of Newholtell before the wedding he "sattin the Chayre, and the Queene abouffe him, on -his -r-ygh-t -h'a-und. For because tlie stole of the Queene was not for hyr Ease, he gaff hyr the said chayre." Those great "chayres" were taken from place to place when my lord travelled. When the Duke of Morfold travelled in Oxfordshire In 1466 "a chaire of tymber of as-tate, covered wt blue clo-th of gold" travelled with him, was taken to pieces -.and packed in a case of "lether." • . "FJaunders Chairs" weye importe'd from the Low Countries. -These were very heavy oak chairs having a boxlike form with panelled sides, back, and arms -to support— and -disp'lay — the long, hanging sleeves. Similar1 chairs were made in Englapd, and -were described. as. ".close" ,or "joyned" chairs. Hence our word "jo'iner"— oue 1 who puts together or joins. These chairs continued in vogue well into the sixteenth century. The next ty-pe of chair was scareely less heavy, but -had legs, o-pen sides with arms, and panelled back, and now joiners were called upon to meet an emergency! The emergency was the "farthingale." A writer on English costume describes the attiring of - Queen Elizabeth thus. "and after the

• great farthingale has been adjusted, and when she has chosen an undergown, she puts on several linen petticoats one over another, to give the : required fullness to her figure; anc} then comes the stiffly embroidered undergown . , . with great caye she seats herself on a broad chair.' This -"■broad chair" was the "forthingale" chair. The great spread and volume of the extravagant garment prevented the wearer sitting down on th'e usual chair with arms, and so the joiner had to devise a new type. This was probably the first small or single chair produced. Small chairs were not made in any great numbers tifi the beginning of the seveniteenth century. An inventory of a wealthy alderman's house in 1570 includes "one chair and one little chair." Another inventory mentions a for-m to sit upon and "a chair. Th'e dining-room of 1650 would he unlikely to have more than two chairs, one for the master and one for the mistress, "joyned" stools and henches providing seats for the rest of the household. But the seats of those •early days were perhaps not so comfortless as one would imagine. Frequent mention is made in inventories of large numbers of cushions, and , these would modify the hardness of . the solid British oak. But whether it be chairs, furniture generally, china, prints, or silver, the .past has left .us a splendid heritage of ' brilliantly designed and magnificently executed examples of the craftsman s art, providing a fascinating study,^ and affording endless interest and delight Some people eollect these examples, while others -merely use th'em as a ' means of trading and speculation. Believing that they should serve a high- . er-.and better purpose; that they should be thought of in connection ' with the soeial nee.ds and customs that prevailed among the people who made • them, and that we should use this heritage not to copy and imitate, but to regard a.s servants and g.uide.s in expressing and fulfilling our own aims ; and requirements, a commi'ttee of ■ Wellington people have gathered together many century (and more) old . articles for exhihition jn the city. His Excellency the Covernor-General (Lord Bledisloe) will be present at a ' private view o,n Thursday night next : nt Austin House, Wakefield Street, iand from Friday the exhihition will be open -to the public. Similar exhihi-* ; -bions in Christchurch and Durfedin . have been very successful, and as the proceeds wxll swell the funds of the . local Y.W.C.A., those -who view the collection will know that they are not ' only getting something for -their ad--mission money, but giving t0 a worthwhile organisation at the same time.