The Word ‘Chair’
The word chair is derived from the Latin word ‘cathedra’, (Cathedral later became known as the official church that held the seat of a Bishop) – Old French turned the word cathedra into chaire which was adapted into the English language as chair.
How Far Do Chairs Date Back?
The use of seating and chairs themselves date back thousands of years – forms of seating appear to have been present as far back as the Stone Age and later in ancient China. Possibly some of the most well documented examples of the use of seating in the ancient world are from the ancient Egyptian civilisations. Tombs dating as far back as the Old Kingdom, generally regarded as the period between the third and sixth dynasty (2686–2181 BC), have uncovered numerous chairs; all evidence suggests that the use of chairs was reserved nobility and royalty as they clearly illustrated wealth and status. In fact some are more like thrones in appearance, highly decorated with both back and armrests. Chairs and other forms of seating are also a found in many hieroglyphics.
The Origins of the Carver Chair
There are two different theories regarding the origins of carver chairs. The first is associated with John Carver – the governor and founder of the Plymouth colony of Massachusetts in the US. Carver signed and also possibly wrote the first official governing document of the Plymouth colony – the Mayflower compact. This was duly named after the Mayflower, the pilgrim ship which took John Carver and the other settlers to the new colony. John Carver, a senior figure, supposedly owned a chair of this design. The other theory is that the carver chair is not actually named after a specific person, rather the master of the household that would sit at the head of the table and carve the meat – the ‘carver’.
The Original Design
Early carver chairs were primarily made of wood and differed from other chairs in their design – boasting wider dimensions and most noticeably three vertical supporting spindles on the back of the chair. These were usually topped with decorative ornaments – finials. They also had a carved design of turned construction (similar to the design of turned chairs or spindle chairs).
The Modern-Day Carver Chair
The carver chair has changed a great deal over the last few centuries, with various modern-day adaptations of the traditional carver chair available, as well as numerous wooden antique traditional style carver chairs. Carver chairs can be supplied in their traditional pairs, or as full sets for the modern dining table. The contemporary day carver chair makes a prominent feature at the dining table – designed to provide a strong presence as well as comfort. These days, the term ‘carver chairs’ is almost synonymous with ‘dining chairs with arms’. Whether you are looking for period dining chairs or something more modern and contemporary, there is a wide range of carver chairs available on the market to suit all different tastes and styles.
