Chair - Wood, Renaissance style of the early 1900s





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Folding Savonarola-style chair in Renaissance Italian design, dating to the early 20th century, crafted in wood, in good used condition with minor signs of age, dimensions 88 cm high by 66 cm wide by 47 cm deep.
Description from the seller
Elegant foldable chair in Savonarola style, inspired by Italian Renaissance models and dating back to the first half of the twentieth century. A piece of furniture with a strong visual presence, capable of immediately evoking the taste and solemnity of historic interiors.
The structure is of the typical scissor type, composed of a series of curved slats that intersect harmoniously, allowing the seat to close while also providing solidity and vertical dynamism. This system, besides being functional, creates a refined play of solids and voids that adds rhythm and movement to the whole.
The carved backrest is the most spectacular element: a rich decorative carving in Renaissance style, with scrolls and classical motifs that evoke the historical models of ceremonial seats. The turned and shaped armrests complete the ensemble with balance, making the seat both authoritative and welcoming.
The name 'Savonarola' derives from the tradition that associates this type of seat with the famous Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola, a central figure of late 15th-century Florence. According to 19th-century usage and historiography, this model of chair — foldable, solemn, inspired by the Roman curule seat — was considered suitable for religious and civil personalities of great moral rigor. Hence the attribution of the name, which later became conventional to refer to this Renaissance-style seat.
Over the centuries, particularly between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Savonarola chair was widely reintroduced in Italy as an educated piece of furniture, intended for studies, libraries, reception rooms, and noble environments, becoming a symbol of authority, culture, and classicism.
The wood features a warm and authentic patina, with signs of age that enrich its character without compromising its stability. An ideal piece for those who wish to introduce an element of strong historical identity into a space, capable of harmonizing with antique bookshelves, significant tables, or eclectic interiors with a collector's taste.
Careful packaging and tracked shipping throughout Europe.
Seller's Story
Elegant foldable chair in Savonarola style, inspired by Italian Renaissance models and dating back to the first half of the twentieth century. A piece of furniture with a strong visual presence, capable of immediately evoking the taste and solemnity of historic interiors.
The structure is of the typical scissor type, composed of a series of curved slats that intersect harmoniously, allowing the seat to close while also providing solidity and vertical dynamism. This system, besides being functional, creates a refined play of solids and voids that adds rhythm and movement to the whole.
The carved backrest is the most spectacular element: a rich decorative carving in Renaissance style, with scrolls and classical motifs that evoke the historical models of ceremonial seats. The turned and shaped armrests complete the ensemble with balance, making the seat both authoritative and welcoming.
The name 'Savonarola' derives from the tradition that associates this type of seat with the famous Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola, a central figure of late 15th-century Florence. According to 19th-century usage and historiography, this model of chair — foldable, solemn, inspired by the Roman curule seat — was considered suitable for religious and civil personalities of great moral rigor. Hence the attribution of the name, which later became conventional to refer to this Renaissance-style seat.
Over the centuries, particularly between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Savonarola chair was widely reintroduced in Italy as an educated piece of furniture, intended for studies, libraries, reception rooms, and noble environments, becoming a symbol of authority, culture, and classicism.
The wood features a warm and authentic patina, with signs of age that enrich its character without compromising its stability. An ideal piece for those who wish to introduce an element of strong historical identity into a space, capable of harmonizing with antique bookshelves, significant tables, or eclectic interiors with a collector's taste.
Careful packaging and tracked shipping throughout Europe.

