ESIC 2024 Posted: 24/08/2024

Theorizing the Chair: History, Culture, and Design

Inas Alkholy
Dept. of Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Yarmouk University, [email protected]

Abstract
In Arthur Danto’s The Seat of the Soul: Three Chairs, the chair is a source of power and
authority. This paper explores the aesthetic importance of chairs and their designers and
determines why people from various cultures create different designs that all perform the same
function: seating. Here, the chair is examined as an artwork and design phenomenon from
historical, cultural, stylistic, and aesthetic perspectives. Data were gathered through a
comprehensive literature review, reports, archival materials, and museum visits. Descriptive,
historical, and analytical methods were used to explore the religious, symbolic, spiritual,
artistic, competitive, and academic legacies of the chair. Despite the similarity in function, the
chair is more important than a sofa, bed, or bench. It displays one’s status, education,
knowledge, and artistic taste. However, practicality, low-cost materials, and money have
trumped aesthetics in recent years. The findings may help young chair designers highlight their
competitiveness and inventiveness.

Keywords: chair design, chair history, interior design, criticism

In his 1987 article, The Seat of the Soul: reading Danto and other studies discussing chair
Three Chairs, Arthur Danto emphasized the design from different perspectives, this study
chair’s unique “signature” (150) or mark that considers the chair as an artwork rather than a
gives it power and authority. He also noted that product. It also attempts to answer Danto’s
it is significant if an individual is seated while question: “Why is the chair, not the table or the
everyone else is standing. At the beginning of his bed?” The answer may seem evident, but it is
inspiring article, Danto discusses the academic not; to understand the motives of designers and
chair because he was in charge of the scholars’ architects who design chairs, the symbolism of
chair and chair of distinction during his tenure as the chair from ancient to contemporary history
the Johnsonian Chair in Philosophy (the 33rd must be discussed. The chair can be utilized at
volume of the Library of Living Philosophers is any time and for any reason, and its existence as
devoted to the life and philosophies of Arthur a piece of furniture acknowledges the intrinsic
Danto [Auxier and Hahn 2013]). He begins by worth of individuals. Danto (1989) asserted,
talking about honorary chairs and subsequently “The chair leaves the senses free for thought …”
reflects on the art and design of chairs. Academic (158). In the same manner that Danto associated
chairs known as “cathedra” have a long history the chair with authority, control, and
that can be traced back to universities in the sovereignty, it is connected with political life in
medieval era (Danto 1987, 154). Although it is a Khaled Alhamzah’s (2009) Propagating Art &
highly challenging task to discuss the chair after Elections’ Propaganda. Alhamzah’s book and art
Inas Alkholy

installation project attempted to mock electoral research on the historical, artistic, and cultural
fraud and societal corruption in the pursuit of dimensions of chairs as well as designers’
power and the attainment of personal interests. motivations for chair design is limited. This
The chair is a common denominator in all study fills a gap in the research literature by
aspects of life and work, as it is an essential and discussing several aspects related to chairs,
central element that our lives revolve around. Its including their cultural significance, historical
significance stems from the fact that every development, exploration of different forms;
individual strives to find a symbolic seat in life materials; and processes, the fascination of
and a place to practice their right to live architects with chair design, the business of
(Alhamzah 2009, 34). A chair is “a spatial chairs, the distinction between genuine and
marker, a status symbol, a vehicle for decoration, counterfeit chairs, and a response to Danto’s
and a statement of artistic intent” (Wilhide 2000, inquiry about the nature of chairs.
6). Does the creation of a new chair design seek
a new utilitarian product, add a new piece of art The Story of the Chair
to the history of the chair, or creating a signature?
When Charles Eames was asked whether design The story of the chair began when the first
was an individual’s conception, his response human being on earth felt tired and wanted to sit
recognized the influence of history. He defined and relax. All chairs narrate stories about values,
design as “a plan for arranging elements to statuses, and origins that reflect cultural
accomplish a particular purpose … It may, if it is significance. Some of the chair’s roles are rooted
good enough, later be judged as art” (Herman in philological terms, such as chairperson,
Miller n.d.). When Eames stated that “design endowed chair, committee chair, embassy chair,
addresses itself to the need,” he probably referred throne chair, papal chair, bishop chair, and
to the user’s needs. However, if a designer must Roman curule chair.
be a skilled and creative user, thousands of Le Corbusier defined the chair according to
designs can be created over time. No studies its function as “a machine for sitting on”
have discussed the intellectual needs of artists, (Wilhide 2000, 7); he experimented with
designers, or architects. The first cantilever chair different materials and designed many forms that
by Mart Stam (1950), the Pogo chair by Peter and gave him a place in the history of chairs. In
Alison Smithson (1966, 36), and any four-legged addition to its utilitarian function, the chair has
chair all perform the same function for the end been designed and used to make aesthetic, social,
user. User needs must always be considered and sociopolitical statements (Dormer 1993,
when discussing an object or a product. 117). Wilhide rejected the definition of the chair
In addition to demonstrating the relationship based on its function; she asserted that stools and
between rulers and the ruled (Cranz 1998), chairs benches perform the same function as chairs.
denote the style prevalent in specific periods and Nevertheless, in her opinion, the chair is a
challenge designers. Peter Smithson compared a sovereign seat, a position of authority, an
chair to “designing a society in miniature.” The indicator of position and wealth, a vehicle for
connection among the chair, the body, and decoration, and an expression of artistic
society is constant; in other words, a chair may intentions (Wilhide 2000, 6). When Wilhide
reflect sociological ideas. The human body is an (2000) referred to it as the most human-centered
exciting structure that invites designers, artists, furnishing item, she compared the idea of a
and architects to challenge themselves to create variety of chairs grouped in the same space with
the best chair designs for it (Cranz 1998, 34). that of a gathering of people.
Furthermore, concerns other than the Many current designs demonstrate that the
ergonomics of chairs have been raised. However, chair remains a seat of authority, innovation, and

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 Theorizing the Chair: History, Culture, and Design

rivalry. In Tyranny of the Chair: Why We Need accomplish specific objectives (Fiell and Fiell
Better Design, Hendren (2020) pointed out that 2022, 7). It is an intentional and instinctual
not all designers consider the anatomy and needs attempt to create a purposeful form (Papanek
of the body. She recommended that chairs should 1971, 66). Knowledge regarding their origins,
be accessible, comfortable, innovative, and form, style, and evolutionary history is essential
inexpensive. In Design for the Real World, to fully appreciate chairs as manufactured
Papanek (1971, 14) stated that designers have products or artworks. This understanding
undergone a transformation that has raised necessitates a visual experience.
concerns about its impact on safety. Recently,
the role of product designers has shifted toward Chairs and Culture
modifying human environments, resources, and
even human beings. Although many individuals Chair design must be environmentally
support designers in promoting creative chairs, conscious, culturally sensitive, novel, and
several others oppose them. In Ornament and audacious in terms of logic. Matteo Guarnaccia,
Crime, Loos (1908, 66) stated that the best chair a Sicilian designer, worked on a cross-cultural
is the one that is the most comfortable rather than chair project and seating habits to propose a
the one with the most original design. Since design based on comprehension rather than
1948, designers have created chairs to make trends, exhibiting each culture through a chair
aesthetic statements and enhance their artistic signifying a social act (Aouf 2021). He
portfolios. Dormer (1993, 126) discussed investigated various cultural traditions, including
humanism, logic, order, faith, rationalism, and the dynamics of communal seating arrangements
reason while describing good chair design. A and use of indigenous materials and techniques,
well-designed chair makes us question our to produce chairs. Furthermore, he felt
relationship with our possessions and the world; compelled to conduct research and directly
the questions and responses are always open to observe the influence of globalization on design
development (Dormer 1993, 142). Although the among the next generation of designers,
structural framework of chairs seldom varies manufacturers, and architects (Lutyens 2019).
beyond three essential components, namely the Cranz (1998, 56) discussed chair-and-table
seat, backrest, and legs, the wide variety of culture, which gained popularity in the sixteenth
designs is remarkable. However, the century, stating that it has generated a variety of
arrangement of these elements and the relative options from the ancient civilizations of Egypt,
proportions assigned to each section distinguish Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome to today’s
the designs created by different designers. The dining room. In addition to their descending legs,
twentieth century witnessed the proliferation and chairs are physically intriguing and reflect the
diversification of art philosophies, design human body. Cranz agreed with the premise that
concepts, aesthetic transformations, and the the chair represents Westernization and
intricate structure of design processes (Asensio symbolizes modernization and progress.
2007; Fiell and Fiell 2022). There have been many debates about the
In his book DesignDesign: Furniture & health benefits of floor culture, which is
Lights, Asensio (2007) discussed the objective of prevalent in some rural areas in Asia, Africa, and
effective design. He examined the optimal the Middle East, where people sit, eat, and sleep
organization of constituent pieces within a on mattresses, carpets, or straw mats on the floor
composition to achieve a harmonious for reasons unrelated to their economic status.
equilibrium of visual encounters. Practical Traditions, habits, rituals, religious practices,
design conveys persuasive concepts, and space constraints are the reasons for floor
perspectives, and principles regarding objects to culture in small dwellings. Prolonged sitting in a

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Inas Alkholy

chair results in poor blood circulation because god of truth and justice (1792 BCE) seated on his
crucial back muscles are disengaged. This, in chair while King Hammurabi stands before him
turn, is associated with an increased risk of with a bow to present his 282 laws. The Greeks
cardiovascular disease (Brown 2024). Sitting used stools with an X-frame made of crosswise
and eating on the floor can aid digestion, help braces called the Klismos chair (2000 BCE; Fig.
control portion, and promote gratitude and 3). After polishing these stools, the Romans
humility. This pose also calms the mind and the turned them into the famous curule chair (Fig. 4)
body through physical relaxation. However, (Hess and Case 2014). The Mycenaean chair,
those who advocate “floor culture” tend to dating back to 1500 BCE (Fig. 5), and the
overlook the fact that eating and sitting on the Cycladic marble chair from 400 BCE (Fig. 6)
floor can be painful and dangerous for older were both widely favored in Greece. This is
adults, individuals with broken bones and weak shown in a relief from the East Frieze of the
ligaments, and those with knee joint Parthenon, which portrays Hera and Zeus sitting
inflammation. (438 BCE). King Mohammed V’s chair (1350
The Chair in History: The East and the West CE), made of mother of pearl and ivory inlay, is
The present study does not encompass an displayed in the Alhambra Museum, Granada
extensive analysis of the historical aspects of (Fig. 7).
chairs, as a substantial body of scholarly
literature on this topic exists. However, it
analyzes a few designs that have impacted the
evolution of chair design. Historically, the chair
served as a symbol of social prestige. Chairs in
specific locations served a purpose beyond mere
physical respite, embodying the concept of social
stratification (National Design Academy n.d.).
According to Hess and Case (2014), the first
known seating object dates back to 3200 BCE in
Skara Brae in Scotland, where stone chairs and
two-inch figurines of pregnant women seated on
four-legged chairs were considered a symbol of Fig. 1. The Egyptian queen Hetepheres’s chair,
honor. Archaeologists have also discovered Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
homes with traces of domestication, such as https://www.pinterest.com/pin/6759622253234
doors, beds, tables, and chairs, in other sites. 12558/
Stone benches represent the earliest
manifestations of the human urge to be elevated
from the ground (Cranz, 1998). Various
materials, mainly stone and marble, have been
used since ancient times. Archaeological records
indicate that wooden furniture was first used in
ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (Dillion, 2023).
The first valuable and attractive seats made of
wood with gold and silver plating were found in
the tombs of Queen Hetepheres, the mother of
King Khufu (1334 BCE; Fig. 1), and the young
Fig. 2. Tutankhamen’s Chair, Grand Museum,
King Tutankhamen (2723 BCE; Fig. 2). The
Cairo, publicdomainpictures.net
Shamash chair is a sculpture of the Babylonian

1754 Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture

 Theorizing the Chair: History, Culture, and Design

Fig. 6. Cycladic Chair, Athens National

Archaeological Museum
Fig. 3. Klismos’s Chair eternalgreece.rezdy.com/156708
pinterest.com/pin/92675704805756468/

Fig. 7. Mohamad the V’s Chair, Alhambra

Fig. 4. Curule Stool, Design Institute of San Museum, Granada
Diego granadaonly.com/
styylish.com/chairs-history-of-seating/

In the early twentieth century, the chair’s

academic, artistic, competitive, symbolic, and
spiritual heritage began to be considered. An
image can become an idea (Demetrios 2001).
Gaudí’s wooden curving chairs in Casa Batlló
and Casa Calvet in 1912 depict the Art Nouveau
style with fluid curves that reflect his
architectural exteriors and philosophy of “the art
of living” (Collins 2024). The Red and Blue
Chair designed by Gerrit Rietveld in Schroder
House represents the De Stijl design philosophy
while reflecting his architectural vision. Ludwig
Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair, created in
Fig. 5. Mycenean terracotta chair
1929, with its X-frame chromed flat steel, echoes
pinterest.com/pin/760263980818298002/
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Inas Alkholy

his architecture’s formal qualities and conceptual included a sense of calmness, good colors, light,
structure and presents the new minimalist style security, smooth surfaces, simple patterns, and
(Blaser 1982, 12). minimalism. The modernist movement of the
Modernists were confident they could 1920s eliminated all decorative elements,
achieve their goals as developers, thinkers, and making buildings and internal spaces more
idealists regardless of others’ opinions (Dormer functional. However, after ten years, the
1993, 118). Simultaneously, they bore traditional school of thought came to the
tremendous responsibility for the demands and forefront and provided its views on innovation.
preferences of users. The sense of a fresh start is These two historical roots, moving forward and
a significant postwar feature. Modern designers looking back, made the 1940s a tense period
were determined to produce suitable objects with (Oeltjenbruns 2013). Designers also considered
romantic and avant-garde energies (Muthesius how the furniture needs of smaller homes were
2012). They considered their inventions changing. For low- and middle-income groups,
adventurous and acted akin to humanists who cost-effectiveness and functional furniture items
believed in rationality and spirituality (Dormer were prioritized. Postmodern designers have
1993, 130). become more responsive to human anatomy and
Politics and philosophy play key roles in ergonomics and have experimented with
people’s everyday lives, whether the issue is different materials and techniques: foldable,
food or furniture design. Serge Guilbaut portable, washable, inflatable, self-assembling,
published How New York Stole the Idea of disposable, and recycled. Thus, designers,
Modern Art in 1983, which addressed the role of artists, and architects have demonstrated a
politics in art and claimed that the Central competitive, creative, and experimental
Intelligence Agency supported exhibitions, approach to chair design since the twentieth
brochures, and periodicals highlighting century.
American artists and designers as a means to
promote modern art, which originated in France Experimentation with Form, Material, and
(34). According to Steyn, many American artists Technique
were excited, declaring, “We shall watch New
York as eagerly as Paris for new developments” The world of chairs involves
(Steyn 1984, 62). American design groups experimentation using various materials. The
benefitted when the Nazis shut down the bent lamination technique, wooden laminates,
Bauhaus School in 1933. Many great European acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resins, polyvinyl
artists, designers, and architects left their home chloride, molding materials, polyurethane foam
countries to live in the United States because of fabric coating, softened angles with inward
the violence and abuse they had encountered. curves, and paper mixed with other materials
Materials mainly used for defense purposes were exemplify new technologies and progress in the
used to make furniture. Walter Gropius, Alvar industry that have improved chair production.
Aalto, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Stacking, swiveling, and rocking chairs with or
Frank Lloyd Wright are modern pioneers in without upholstery; one, two, three, or four legs;
architecture. and basic one-piece or multi-piece designs are
With the rise of America as a superpower, the some examples.
official look of modern furniture and interior Since the twentieth century, more
design became the ideal, and all competitors tried economical materials have been used to design
to imitate it (Guilbaut 1983, 38). Dormer (1993, chairs, such as aluminum alloys in Marcel
67) believed that the official appearance of Breuer’s Cesca B32 with woven cane in 1926.
furniture design, beyond politics and war, Poul Kjaerholm used the same material for his

1756 Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture

 Theorizing the Chair: History, Culture, and Design

Hammock Chair in 1951. Fabric webbing was their signature design style in the chair world.
first used in Alvar Aalto’s Armchair in 1938. Dormer (1993, 136) quotes Narrative
Robin Day’s stacking chair in 1963 and Tom Architecture Today, stating that because
Dixon’s chair made of expanded polystyrene for designing involves a thinking style that people
the London Design Festival 2006 are good can understand based on their art knowledge, it
examples of the usage of polypropylene and may symbolically narrate stories and provide
polystyrene. Another exciting design by Tom pleasurable experiences in interiors, architecture,
Dixon was the 1988 S-Chair with woven wicker. city planning, and furniture. Toromanoff sought
Frank Gehry experimented with all types of to understand why engineers design chairs. Is it
material, namely stacks of cardboard, such as the necessary to test creative ideas on a small scale
Contour Chair in 1970 and the delicate Wiggle before implementing them on a large scale? Do
Side Chair in 1972, which starkly contrasts the architects use the exact creative solutions on
harsh character of its cardboard counterpart small and large scales? According to her, most
(Watson-Smyth 2014). Another noteworthy architects’ chairs have concepts and structures
example is the Mezzadro Stool designed by similar to those in their architectural designs
Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1957. In (Toromanoff 2016, 7). Any building designed for
1965, Joe Colombo designed a universal a particular site in a city must remain there until
stacking chair using nylon and polypropylene. it is torn down. One can go to the spot to enjoy
The last example of experimentation involves the it; the most that one can do is take a picture
exceptional couple Charles and Ray Eames, who before leaving. Meanwhile, the chair is unique
started relatively early by using Zenaloy because it is widely available, light, and portable;
(polyester reinforced with fiberglass) in their one can buy it.
resin Shell Chair in 1949. Their Eames Lounge A designer must design at least one well-
Chair, developed in 1955, has an interesting liked chair to establish themselves as a sound
story since it resulted from many trials and was designer (Sudjic 2009, 12). The following are
their first production for the luxury market. The examples of architects who designed chairs and
chair was made of three molded plywood shells made unique statements to demonstrate their
veneered in rosewood and upholstered in leather, ingenuity. Antoni Gaudí, Mies van der Rohe,
and the swiveling base was cast of aluminum Charles and Ray Eames, and Frank Gehry used
(Wilhide 2000, 23). The Eames believed that different materials, processes, and styles.
everything is ultimately connected—people, Creative designers make artistic statements to
ideas, and objects—and that the excellence of stay relevant, particularly with all the
these links is the key to functionality in general. possibilities for experimentation, varied
materials, and processes. Munari (2008) viewed
Architects’ Obsession with Chair Design creativity as the connection of past occurrences;
the more experiments we conduct, the more
Broadly, chairs do not compete with variables and expressions we can suggest.
buildings. However, for architects, the chair Creativity is a “bisociation” or an amalgamation
represents a verification and test of their theories of previously existing concepts using a novel
and ideas with commonplace items and everyday approach (Koestler 1981, 2). Designing chairs is
objects. When designing chairs, architects a creative act, personal doctrine, and statement,
transition from being engineers to being artists whether simple or sophisticated. Architects and
and product designers. Since the early nineteenth designers always learn from history and seek
century, architects have added chairs and ways to improve objects for users. However,
furniture pieces to their design repertoires when they are creators and one-of-a-kind users
(Toromanoff 2016, 9). They were keen to create with intellectual, spiritual, and artistic needs who
ESIC | Vol. 8 | No. 2 | Fall 2024 1757
Inas Alkholy

are searching for something new, they need several original designs, including Eero
creative designs to satisfy their needs and Saarinen’s Womb Chair, designed in 1948.
achieve their goals. Willi and Erika Fehlbaums founded the Vitra
Campus, a Swiss-German family manufacturer
Chair Design and Business in Weil am Rhein, Germany. In the mid-1950s, it
became the first company licensed to create and
In the twentieth century, chairs significantly sell the Eames Chair as an intellectual property
influenced people’s mindset for the future owner (Herman Miller n.d.). Vitra owned the
(Campbell 2009). Design is a systematic process rights to create 60 other popular chairs,
that varies by project based on the users’ needs, showcasing the designers’ unique ideas,
culture, budget, and market. Analysis, synthesis, materials, and concepts. Thousands of chairs
assessment, and presentation are ongoing tasks have been made throughout furniture history, but
that help to create and produce a design. only a few are known to everyone and seen as
According to Jonassen (2000), design is a eternal symbols. The Vitra Campus educates and
multidimensional process that entails planning, encourages designers and customers to consider
developing, and implementing solutions to genuine products’ economic, ethical, and
problems or needs. Many design firms are environmental benefits. Vitra collaborated with
similar to art and design museums. One can buy Jean Prouve on the Chaise Tout Bois in 1941 and
a ticket and spend a day enjoying the best Verner Panton on the Panton Chair Classic in
designs. Kartell, Knoll, and Vitra’s expected 1959. The Vitra Design Museum is an open
annual revenues from chair sales in 2022 ranged museum designed by Alvaro Siza, Tadao Ando,
from $1–2 billion (companiesmarketcap.com; Frank Gehry, Herzog & de Meuron, Zaha Hadid,
owler.com; cbinsights.com). Nicholas Grimshaw, Buckminster Fuller, and
Giulio Castelli and Anna Castelli Ferrieri SANAA.
launched Kartell in 1949 to manufacture vehicle
accessories and expanded their business into Original Chairs, Replicas, and Counterfeits: Real
home furnishings in 1963. They desired to create
lightweight and inexpensive objects that would and Fake Designs
serve as a bridge between technology and design. When an individual admires a design
Collaboration with Phillippe Starck resulted in featured in a catalog, they may engage the
fruitful research and designs, such as transparent services of a carpenter and upholsterer to bring
chairs: the Louis Ghost Chair in 2004 and the Mr. the design to life at a reasonable cost. However,
Impossible Chair in 2007. Kartell’s creations are in this process, the individual may not consider
now displayed in around 50 museums worldwide the designer’s identity or copyright concerns. Is
(Fuso 2020). making a copy of a popular chair design the same
Another prominent name in furniture design as printing a million copies of Da Vinci’s Mona
is Florence Schust, who started Knoll Lisa and selling them for $10 each? Is it the same
International in East Greenville, Pennsylvania, as wearing fake brand-name clothes?
after working with Hans Knoll in 1938. As a What is the difference between an actual
member of BeOriginal Americas, the company copy and a fake chair? (Mechanical Blog 2021)
relies on generating heritage-quality designs that Is it a moral or a monetary issue? Most people
are long-lasting and valuable. Its catalog would not prefer to pay $1,000–4,000 for a
includes modern lounge chairs for each style of designer chair protected under intellectual
living room, whether classic, cutting-edge, property and copyright laws when they can buy
appealing, or casual. Knoll held the rights to one with the same design for $500 or less.
Suppose a person buys a copy of a designer chair.

1758 Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture

 Theorizing the Chair: History, Culture, and Design

In that case, they encourage people to continue on a chair around a dining table while eating;
making fakes, and they are not helping the legal however, dining chairs have a special
production lines that pay considerable money to significance compared with other chairs since
the designer to buy the license, make the chairs, they are “shy” chairs hidden inside and beneath
and sell them. An individual will not feel proud the table, leaving only the back visible.
or happy about owning a copy rather than the The bed satisfies human impulses and
original. If people were looking for copies only desires. It is a piece of rectangular furniture
because they were cheaper, the problem would covered with a mattress and several bedding
have been much less severe. This is especially accessories. In addition, it can only be used
true because some wealthy people do not briefly when sick or asleep. Moreover, bedrooms
understand why they must buy originals instead are a highly private area where guests are not
of illegal copies, which indicates their lack of permitted.
knowledge regarding art and design.
Businesspeople have always been concerned Conclusion
about counterfeits and replicas (Manhattan
Home Design, 2021). A significant difference This study provides a comprehensive
exists between fakes and copies, but the two analysis of the chair. Previous studies have
terms are often used to refer to the same thing, certain limitations, particularly in the historical,
and the line between them is becoming artistic, and cultural dimensions; in addition, a
increasingly blurred. Both are substantially discussion of designers’ motivations for chair
similar to the original goods but cannot be design is lacking in the literature. The present
considered genuine. study aimed to fill these research gaps and clarify
the chair’s uniqueness as an artwork. Different
A Response to Danto’s Query data gathering methods were used to ensure a
comprehensive data analysis and data accuracy
The chair causes one to overlook other pieces and provide various perspectives. A multifaceted
of furniture. The response to Danto’s question approach was used to examine the chair,
about why the chair is of greater importance than including a comprehensive literature review and
the table or bed is as follows. The chair is museum visits to obtain background
intended for individual use and cannot be shared. information, identify previous research on the
This has functional and cultural relevance for an topic, and include photos of the most visual
individual, mainly when gender is a crucial issue. examples. Data were also collected from reports,
When both chairs and couches are available in results, and archival materials.
public spaces, one may prefer to sit in a chair for The chair has been developed for
solitude. approximately 5,000 years. Although its style,
Benches and sofas are similar to chairs in material, technique, and concept have been
some ways. However, a significant difference modified, its fundamental function has remained
exists in that they are not intended for individual constant (Danto 2009, 146). A chair is an object
use and hence lack the characteristic of providing that accommodates various shapes and forms
a private seating arrangement. The chair both indoors and outdoors. Some of the first
establishes individuality by filling an area and examples are ritualistic thrones and unique
overwhelming the surrounding furnishings. designs intended for religious figures, kings, and
The table is different. A tablecloth is an specific individuals. Beginning in the late
embellished or patterned fabric whose name is nineteenth century, technical advances permitted
derived from the table and whose purpose is to chair designers to deviate from tradition by using
“cover” a flat surface called “a table.” One sits new materials and manufacturing methods.

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Inas Alkholy

Since then, the chair has been used to make design and culture. The present study focused on
aesthetic, social, and ideological arguments the chair’s artistic qualities and shortcomings. A
(Dormer 1993, 117). The historical variety of person’s rank, background, intellect, taste, and
design is partly related to shifting consumer talent are displayed to others by the chair they
habits, evolving preferences, designers’ use. Despite their comparable duties, the chair
economic and ethical demands, technological has distinct features compared with the couch,
advances, and varying national design bed, and bench. The chair is both theory and
orientations (Fiell and Fiell 2022, 7). The chair application; it embodies philosophy and practice.
can determine the interior design style because, Further detailed studies are needed on iconic
in addition to its function, some chairs are chairs, particularly the Vitra collection. It is
considered artwork and can be enjoyed for their essential to consider the chair as a living artwork;
aesthetic qualities. There is no more potent it has a history, is developing, and will continue
symbol than the chair for transferring an object to exist.
from the realm of meaning to the realm of art Funding
(Danto 1987, 163). No funding was received for this work.
The chair is adventurous, creative, and Declarations/Acknowledgments
unique. It is a means to display one’s status, The author has no conflicts of interest to
education, knowledge, taste, and competence to declare. Editage.com edited the manuscript. All
others and convince oneself that one deserves it. data are available to readers upon request to the
Few studies have examined the history of chair author.

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