Pair of Important Original Antique Klismos Armchairs Carved Lions Woven Leather

These really are an exquisite pair of armchairs, they are pure art furniture from every angle. Starting at the top you have a Greek key carved back rails, the front arms are carved eagle heads, the seats as mentioned are veg tan hand dyed woven leather straps which make for a very comfortable and hard wearing seat. The front legs are ornately carved Lions heads with hairy paw feet and wings to the sides, the rear legs are again, ornately carved and finish with Lions hairy paws. These are a museum quality pair of armchairs that look expensive and important in any setting

Condition wise, there will be normal age and use related patina marks, we have deep cleaned hand condition waxed and hand polished them from top to bottom, there is nothing negative to note

Dimensions

Height:- 72cm

Width:- 70cm

Depth:- 48cm

Seat height:- 37.5cm

Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point

A klismos (Greek: ???sµ??) or klismos chair is a type of ancient Greek chair, with curved backrest and tapering, out curved legs.

Ancient Greece

Klismoi are familiar from depictions of ancient furniture on painted pottery and in bas-reliefs from the mid-fifth century BCE onwards. In epic, klismos signifies an armchair, but no specific description is given of its form; in Iliad xxiv, after Priam’s appeal, Achilles rises from his thronos, raises the elder man to his feet, goes out to prepare Hector’s body for decent funeral and returns, to take his place on his klismos.

A vase-painting of a satyr carrying a klismos chair on his shoulder shows how light such chairs were. The curved, tapered legs of the klismos chair sweep forward and rearward, offering stability. The rear legs sweep continuously upward to support a wide concave backrest like a curved tablet, which supports the sitter’s shoulders, or which may be low enough to lean an elbow on. The long and elegant curve was quite difficult to create and may have been carved from a single piece of wood, or by using mortise and tenon joints, or by bending by steam, or by training the wood.

The seat was built of four wooden turned staves morticed into the legs; a web of cording or leather strips supported a cushion or a pelt.

The klismos was a specifically Greek invention, without detectable earlier inspiration. The klismos fell from general favour during the Hellenistic period; nevertheless, the theatre of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis, Athens, of the first century CE, has carved representations of klismoi.

Where a klismos is represented in Roman portraits of seated individuals, the sculptures are copies of Greek works.

The fall of the klismos might be due to a design flaw, the legs of the chair are bending outwards and without any further support the legs will spread out and break when sat upon.

This item is available for collection from our Pulborough warehouses

CONDITION

Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description pertaining to the condition.

Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of creasing and wear, we recommend annual waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade.