Armchair

About Armchair

Arms turn a seat into a place of honour. In ancient Egypt, and for centuries in Europe, the armchair belonged to the most important person present while others made do with stools and benches, which is why a meeting still has a chair. The 18th-century French fauteuil came in two main shapes, with a flat back set against the wall or a curved back for moving about, and the bergère closed the space under the arms with upholstery.

The 19th century added springs and deep leather club chairs. Modernists reworked the type: Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand held loose cushions inside a tubular steel cage for their Grand Confort (1928), and Finn Juhl floated seat and back between sculpted wooden arms in his No. 45 chair (1945). Look at where the arms meet the back and legs, since that joint shows the maker's skill.