On Chairs

Having four legs and a back, a chair is a piece of seating furniture typically made and used to support one person. Whether made of metal, wood (or sometimes even cardboard!) it comes in different shapes, sizes, and colors.

That is all you could ever see to it, right?

Let's go back in time, specifically the early 13th century to when the word chair came from the English word chaere, Old French chaiere (chair, seat, throne), and Latin cathedra (seat).

For centuries, a chair has been the mark of status and power. a symbolic article of state and dignity rather than an article for ordinary use.

Like in ancient Egypt, chairs dated back to 3000 B.C. were used for ceremonial purposes. The higher ranked an individual was, the taller the chair he sat on and the greater the honor.

On state occasions, the pharaoh sat on a throne, often with a little footstool in front of it.

In keeping with this historical connotation of the "chair" as the symbol of authority, committees, boards of directors, and academic departments all have a 'chairman' or 'chair'

endowed professorships are referred to as chairs.

It wasn't until the Renaissance that the chair ceased to be a privilege of the 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. Almost at once, the chair began to change every few years to reflect the fashions of the day.

Chairs are made in a way that resembles a human body, two arms, two legs, a back, and in some cases a head. One of the first challenges we have in life is learning to sit on a chair, but

when looking at a chair, we don't usually see the whole story behind it. From how it was made, and how it was transported to how there are hundreds maybe even thousands of

stories that each particle of that chair holds. We often forget to see and notice the details of an ordinary thing such as a chair because we don't always see what is beyond. Take some time of your day to notice the beauty beyond the simpler details!