Folding Furniture

The chair that doesn’t fold

On the occasion of the release of our new model, the Chola chair, a model inspired by the design of folding chairs, we bent over backwards to offer you a small page of history on this type of furniture.

Folding furniture in Antiquity

Folding furniture has several advantages. Indeed, it can be stored to save space or to facilitate transport.
It is its undeniable qualities that have made it used since the dawn of time, the history of folding furniture thus dating back to antiquity.
The first folding chairs have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back more than 3,000 years.
These were probably intended for notables and important personalities of the time.
Indeed, they were designed in noble materials such as precious wood, leather, bone and ivory for the inlays.
The Romans also used folding wooden chairs for their soldiers in garrisons and battle encampments.
They also used folding wooden tables for banquets and public meetings.
Also used at this time, the curule seat, was a major symbol of power in ancient Rome.
Exclusively intended for high Roman magistrates, the structure of this seat was mainly made of carved and decorated wood.

In ancient Greece, a folding stool, known as Diphros okladias, was used. It was a backless stool with four turned legs.
It was easily transportable, of common use. On the frieze of the Parthenon, the gods are represented seated on this type of seat.

Folding furniture from the Middle Ages to the present day

In the Middle Ages, folding chairs were used in churches and assembly halls for clergy and nobles.
They were often made of wood and were decorated with carvings and gilding.
Medieval nomads and travelers also used folding furniture when traveling.

In the following centuries, folding furniture was widely used on ships and in military encampments.
For example, Napoleon Bonaparte used his own folding chair for bivouacs in the countryside.
To see the first modern version of the folding chair, you have to go back to the period of the industrial revolution.
It was in 1881 that an English inventor, Joseph Beverley Fenby, filed a patent for a folding chair made from wood, leather and metal.
His patent is sold to several European countries and his chair, called “Fenby chair or “Tripolina” will be used in particular by the English and Italian soldiers.

In the 19th century, metal folding chairs were first introduced, making chairs lighter and easier to transport.
They had become very popular and were notably used for concerts, exhibitions and fairs.
In the 20th century, the folding chair became a popular design object, with notable designers creating modern folding chairs, with innovative materials and aesthetically appealing.

Folding furniture today

Today, the folding chair is a common object, often made of metal or plastic.
Whether in homes, gardens, parks, meeting rooms, events or outdoor activities, it can be found everywhere.
Modern folding chairs have become almost essential for outdoor activities due to their practicality.

Folding furniture, contemporary furniture

The history of the folding chair shows how this object has evolved over the centuries to become a practical and versatile piece of furniture today.
You can find folding furniture such as Elia chairs or Playa tables on our site.