Chair withmotif offan

Armchairs were traditional pieces of furniture used for sitting. They were differentiated from chairs by side rails (armrests) and a much higher backrest, resembling that of a throne. According to the ethnographer Roman Reinfuss “the wider spread of armchairs has probably begun only in the Renaissance period when the sedia-type frame chair received additional side supports (...).” At first, the armchairs appeared only in manor houses of the nobility and in townhouses, only later they were introduced to rural furniture making. The equipment with back and side supports became common particularly in farmhouses over western and northern Europe. In Western Pomerania, one could find the armchairs with seats woven from torn tree roots, wicker, straw or reeds. They were decorated with elaborate paintings, most often depicting floral motifs or woodcarving decorations. The ethnographic collection of the National Museum in Szczecin contains an armchair made in Western Pomerania, most probably in 1794. The year of manufacture is indicated by the date placed on the back of the furniture. The armchair is a carpenter’s product (workshop unknown). Its seat is intricately woven from pine roots in two shades. It is decorated with a fan motif and a floral ornament composed of small flowers. The armchair was transferred to the National Museum in Szczecin from the Regional Museum in Białogard which was closed in 1951.

Agnieszka Słowińska