Furniture
Traditional Cretan Furniture
Armchairs
General features
In Crete the armchair is considered the seat of honour and is intended only for the master of the house or an honoured guest. This social custom may be based on the resemblance of the armchair to the ruler’s or bishop’s throne. Etymologically, too, the Greek word for “armchair”, “polythrona”, contains the word “throne”. Taken together, name and tradition refer us to far older times, to the beginning of the feudal system or even earlier, to the Early Christian period during the Roman Empire, with its multitude of dignitaries.
The armchair was rare in Turkish-occupied Crete, because it was an expensive item of furniture that had to be made by a specialist cabinetmaker. Another reason is that there could only be one armchair in each household.
The wood and techniques for making armchairs were the same as those used for chairs. However, the quality is better at every stage of construction, as it is considered a piece of furniture with a hierarchical ritual tradition and function.
The armchair is wider and taller than the chair, with the following general dimensions:
- Height of back uprights: 90 cm.
- Armrest height: 65 cm; length: 50-70 cm.
- Seat height: 40 cm.
- Seat dimensions: 48-50 x 53-55 cm.
- Upright and armrest cross-section: 5×5 cm.
Armrests
Cretan armchairs have a distinctive feature: they do not usually have two armrests, but only one on the left, or, more rarely, the right side.
As armchairs normally have two armrests, it is interesting to note that chairs of this type are usually found in large, rich monasteries.
There are two traditional explanations for armchairs with one left armrest:
- The lack of an armrest on the right side allows the person sitting in it to have one hand free to manipulate his narghile (hookah or tobacco pipe), which needs fresh coals and tobacco leaves added at regular intervals.
- The other explanation offered is that a right-handed sitter can easily draw his sword or gun, hanging at his left side.
A third explanation is that the wide Cretan breeches can hang down without creasing.
The second explanation is debatable, as the Turks did not allow Cretans to carry arms, and there would have been little point in doing so in the home. The first and third versions are more likely given the customs of 19th-century Crete.
These ideas are supported by the fact that monastery armchairs have two armrests, as monks neither carry weapons nor smoke.
The Back
The back is made of two and sometimes three horizontal boards. In rare cases, turned rungs are set between the boards. Some armchairs have backs with two touching boards with fretwork decoration. Finally, some full backs are made of boards with decorations across their whole surface.
In general terms, the back of the armchair is constructed according to the same specifications as that of the chair.
Struts
There are usually eight of these. The upper four comprise the seat frame, while the lower four are the rungs, which are set very low, about 3 to 6 cm from the ground. In some cases the frame is reinforced with two additional side struts or four around the perimeter.
Seat
As a general rule, the rush seat is woven around the frame formed by the four higher struts. In one exception we found that the seat was made of a single piece of heavy wood carved to form a comfortable saddled surface.
Decorative Typology
Armchair decoration varies and is carried out with more care than chair decoration. The aim is always to make the piece of furniture look stately and impressive.
The finials of the back uprights
As with chairs, the finials are pyramidal in shape, topped with a bird’s head (symbolic of the double-headed Byzantine eagle) or its variants, the hieratical mitre and the diamond.
The decoration of the back uprights
On older forms with a great deal of carved decoration, the back uprights are embellished with a carved rope pattern along the corners and deep, wide gouges cut with a curved gouger. There are also stamped daisies , incised geometrical decoration and two or more parallel flutes .
The decoration of the front legs
This is usually simple, without decorative features or fluting. In some cases the upper section between the seat and the armrest is turned or rhomboid in cross-section, while the lower part, from the seat to the floor, is octagonal in cross-section.
The decoration of the armrests
The ends of the armrests usually protrudes by 8-10 cm. There are various shapes: the twisted spiral , the fluted underside and, relatively rarely, a dragon’s head with a human fist issuing from its jaws. The origin and significance of this symbol are unknown. It may be compared to the famous Alfa Romeo serpent and child, and we believe that it is apotropaic in nature, intended to avert any enemy of the person sitting in the armchair. The armrests are usually straight or wavy, with parallel lateral curves reminiscent of similar Venetian furniture.
The back is usually made of two parallel horizontal boards, the uppermost of which is wider. In rare cases the upper board is triangular or wavy. Joined boards with fretwork are also found. Monastery armchairs are discreetly decorated with fluting, date, initials and carved or pierced crosses on the upper board. Stamped daisy patterns and incised geometrical patterns are also found. In rare cases, the back is made of a wide board with incised or carved decoration.