Tag: folding chair

Wikipedia says: A folding chair is a type of folding furniture, a light, portable chair that folds flat or to a smaller size, and can be stored in a stack, in a row, or on a cart.

Folding chairs or stools were used as seating in the Mediterranean area in the 15th-13th century BC. The chairs were also used as grave goods in the richest graves. A folding chair of ebony and ivory with gold fittings was found in Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt.

Folding chairs were already used in the Nordic Bronze Age, Ancient Egypt, Minoan Greece and Ancient Rome. The frame was mostly made of wood, and seldom made of metal. The wood was inlaid with artistic carvings, gilded, and decorated with ivory. In Northern Europe, the remains of more than 18 folding chairs are known dating back to the Nordic Bronze Age such as the Daensen folding chair and the Guldhøj chair, found near Vamdrup, Denmark.

The folding chair became especially widespread during the Middle Ages. It was treasured as a liturgical furniture piece. Since the 15th and 16th centuries the folding chair has mostly had arm and head rests. Of course, newer chairs which are often found at functions and events are also called folding chairs. They are portable and easy to use.

In the United States, an early patent for a folding chair was by John Cram in 1855.