History+of+the+chair

 The chair is of extreme antiquity and simplicity, although for many centuries and indeed for thousands of years it was an article of state and dignity rather than an article of ordinary use. "The chair" is still extensively used as the emblem of authority in the [|House of Commons] in the United Kingdom and Canada, and in many other settings. Committees, boards of directors, and academic departments all have a 'chairman'. Endowed professorships are referred to as chairs. It was not, in fact, until the 16th century that it became common anywhere. The [|chest], the [|bench] and the stool were until then the ordinary seats of everyday life, and the number of chairs which have survived from an earlier date is exceedingly limited; most of such examples are of ecclesiastical or seigneurial origin. Our knowledge of the chairs of remote [|antiquity] is derived almost entirely from monuments, sculpture and paintings. A few actual examples exist in the [|British Museum], in the [|Egyptian Museum] at Cairo, and elsewhere.  In ancient [|Egypt] chairs appear to have been of great richness and splendor [[|//citation needed//]]. Fashioned of ebony and ivory, or of carved and [|gilded] [|wood], they were covered with costly materials, magnificent patterns and supported upon representations of the legs of beasts or the figures of captives. During [|Tang dynasty] (618 - 907 AD), a higher seat first started to appear amongst the Chinese elite and their usage soon spread to all levels of society. By the 12th century seating on the floor was rare in China, unlike in other Asian countries where the custom continued, and the chair, or more commonly the stool, was used in the vast majority of houses throughout the country.  In Europe, it was owing in great measure to the [|Renaissance] that the chair ceased to be a privilege of state, and became a standard item of furniture for anyone who could afford to buy it. Once the idea of privilege faded the chair speedily came into general use. We find almost at once that the chair began to change every few years to reflect the fashions of the hour. The 20th century saw an increasing use of technology in chair construction with such things as all-metal folding chairs, metal-legged chairs, the [|Slumber Chair] , moulded plastic chairs and ergonomic chairs. The recliner became a popular form, at least in part due to radio and television, and later a two-part. The modern movement of the 1960s produced new forms of chairs: the [|butterfly chair] ,  [|bean bags]  , and the egg-shaped  [|pod chair]. Technological advances led to molded [|plywood]  and wood  [|laminate]  chairs, as well as chairs made of  [|leather]  or  [|polymers]. Mechanical technology incorporated into the chair enabled adjustable chairs, especially for [|office]  use. Motors embedded in the chair resulted in [|massage chairs]