Questions & Answers
Our trusted network of 1stDibs sellers answer common questions
Why is it called a chair?
1 Answer
Why the furniture used for seating is called a chair has to do with the history of language. The word comes from the 13th-century English word chaer, which in turn can be traced back to the Latin word cathedra, meaning seat. If that word reminds you of the word cathedral, it's no accident. The word cathedral gets its name from the fact that a cathedral is where the bishop of a parish has his seat. On 1stDibs, shop a wide range of chairs.
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
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Shop for Chairs on 1stDibs
Black Leather Safari Chair by Kaare Klint for Rud Rasmussen
Located in Belmont, MA
Danish architect and furniture designer Kaare Klint designed this safari chair for manufacturer Rud Rasmussen.
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Ash
George III Painted Hall Chair
Located in Richmond, London
An unusual George III period painted hall chair of large proportions,
England, circa 1780.
Why we like it
A very decorative and well-drawn chair, undoubtedly from an important suit...
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English George III Chairs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Cidue Dining Chair in Red Brown Leather
By Cidue
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cidue, dining chair, leather, chrome-plated metal, Italy, 1970s
Cantilevered dining room chair with chromed flat tubular steel frame. The seating and back are from thick red to bro...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Pair of Red Heart Chairs by Verner Panton for Vitra, Great Condition.
By Vitra, Verner Panton
Located in Kansas City, MO
Pair of red Verner Panton Cone Shaped Heart Chairs. Authentic production by Vitra in 2000 (See label in photos). These appear to be unused, or at a the most, hardly used. There ar...
Category
Early 2000s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Danish Modern Mogens Koch Pair of Folding Safari Chairs for Rud Rasmussen & Cado
Located in Belmont, MA
Pair of Danish Modern folding safari chairs (Model MK-16) designed by Mogens Koch in 1932, one manufactured by Rud. Rasmussen and the other by Cado. Made in natural beech wood and br...
Category
Vintage 1930s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Brass
Italian Set of Six Dining Chairs with Woven Leather Seats
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Set of six dining chairs, leather, beech, Italy, late 1970s
Remarkable set of six sculptural and impressive dining chairs. These chairs have a frame and long backrest in beech. The ...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Leather, Beech