Heaven. Are there any chairs in heaven? Wait a minute. I heard we get to bring our favorite chairs with us. Do you have a favorite chair? Oh, I know … an Archie Bunker
- Archie Bunker’s Chair from “All In the Family”
chair, right smack in the middle of heaven. The one that was right smack in the middle of his family room. I bet Archie is up there sitting around in his easy chair with its winged back, wide seat, arms and comfy soft cushions, poo pooing everyone looking his way. “You’re jealous, you want it, you can’t have it! It’s mine.”
Do you really want Archie’s chair? Wait, you haven’t seen anything yet. Reality is, way back when, chairs were only for royalty and the privileged. The rest of the crowd, if allowed to sit in the presence of a sovereign, sat on their buttocks … on the ground. I would have grabbed the first rock. The first sitting device had to be a rock. Then someone figured out how to shape natural material, like clay, like bamboo, like wood, and later even cardboard into a place to seat oneself.
Clay Chair
King Tut, XVIII dynasty, circa 2630 B.C. A golden throne made of sheet gold worked around a wooden base and inlaid with faience, colored glass, lapis, lazuli, and calcite.
Frank Gehry's cardboard Wiggle Chair 1972
Did you know if you remained seated while others stand, you considered yourself superior? Chairs have changed dramatically since the first rock and so has our philosophy. I don’t know about you, but if someone is standing addressing me while I am seated, I will invite them to join me, or I will stand. This facilitates eye contact and offers equality.
Egyptian chairs were thrones, hard and stiff, the lesser folk serving the one on the throne, got to sit on stools. That’s a seat with no back. I love a good stool, how about you? You can place yourself wholly on it or part way on the edge, either way it is easy to get up and out.
Chairs are a different species. Did you read in my blog last week, about the stocky stockbroker and the White Castle table and bench? He couldn’t get in, imagine if he did, how would he get out?
Chairs change styles, sizes and scope of designs depending on the country and culture.
The famous Frank Gehry‘s layers of cardboard chair is here in this blog, namely “Wiggle Chair.” It was innovative then, and still today is most unusual. Gehry is an out-of-the-box thinker.
Yoda Easy Chair by Kenneth Cobonpue
The bamboo easy chair is an innovative, trendy 21st century design, reminiscent of Frank Gehry’s cardboard chair of the 70’s above. Mr. Gehry visited New York Bloomies when I was a young designer working in the design department. He demonstrated the strength of the chair by standing on it and jumping several times. The chair was impervious to the test.
More to come.
Do you have a favorite chair? Would you take it to heaven or perhaps to the beach?
Gail,
I finally had a chance to check out your wonderful site. I love the way you presented and education on chairs–your quirky comments make it fun to read.
Joy, thanks for commenting. I always appreciate the encouragement.
What fun, Gail! My dad used to have an Archie Bunker chair we used to tease him about. I’m sure he and Archie are both looking down and having a good laugh.
I also love rockers, another memory inducing picture. My grandpa and I used to sit side by side in matching rockers, (his big and mine little) and rock for hours when I was a child. When the rockers would “walk” backward, we’d look at ach other, smile, and get up and drag them forward. We’d sit back down and continue watching Jack La Laine or Wild Wild West…haha…how a chair can bring back such memories.
These days, my favorite chair is my Adirondack chair on my front porch where I can sit and write and watch the hummingbirds dance around the leggy petunias.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Paula, fun right back to you. You must have been rockin’ those rockers to walk them backward. I could see it. I got caught up in your memories. Your Adirondack chair is in a magical place.
Gail, I’m so into chairs! This is wonderful. My personal favorite here would have to be Tut’s simple little chair!
I have a nifty Napolean III chair that I just replaced the fringe on, I’ll send you an image of it.
Best-
Jimmy
Jimmy, I can’t wait to see your Napoleon III chair. I would love to see you in Tut’s simple little chair. It doesn’t come with a crown you know. Would that be a bother? If so, maybe we can design one for you. After all, it is what we do best, design … right? Have you seen the chairs recently auctioned from artnet auctions? It came with the ASID fall/11 icon magazine. http://www.artnet.com/auctions. Gail
Hi Gail. Another informative post! I don’t have a favorite chair, but I do “love” my loveseat! I curl up in it with a book or latest knitting/crochet project. I guess you could say I love my dining room table chair since I sit in it for hours when writing. Guess it’s all a matter of perspective! Needless to say with a bunch of pets and teenagers, our furniture is all about comfort and durability. No fancy chairs for royalty here!
Comfort, yes. Durability, double yes. If you want to fancy it up for, let’s say a party, throw covers and bows on those dining room chairs. Buy them at Target, Penney’s, Pottery Barn. Or just for a change of scenery … You lucked out on the dining room chairs. Usually many hours spent in one tires the back. Loveseats count as big chairs, lucky lady. Thanks.
Hi Gail,
Interesting. I have never heard we get to bring our favorite chair with us to heaven. I was under the impression we left this earth with nothing but our soul. Hmmmm …. honestly, I would have to give some thought to your question. I think I would have to visit heaven prior to making a decision. Showing up to have dinner with Jesus and me carrying a beach chair would never do. Then again, He probably wouldn’t care.
Gerri, heaven … nah, Jesus wouldn’t care, He might even ask to try out your chair. Dinner with Jesus, how many of us would there be? Let’s set the table for everyone. Maybe I need to talk about tables in the future to figure out sizing. Good one Gerri, thanks.
Great chairs! Love the Yoda one, but not much of a recliners. I’d be afraid of falling through the….grass? 🙂
For me, I love a good rocker. One that you can put your feet up and lay back and read in. I’ll be taking mine to heaven with me.
Katy, you might fall through the … grass. Sort of like Dorothy and the magic slippers, who know where you would fall? Yup, rockers are great, I even have one in my office/studio in case I need to rock away my work. thanks.