Savonarola Style Armchairs
Savonarola style armchairs are scissor-action folding seats rooted in historical design, offering collectors striking cross-frame geometry and intricate regional ornamentation.
Savonarola Style Armchairs
Savonarola style armchairs combine intersecting curved wooden slats that form a characteristic X-shaped or cross-frame support structure. When searching for savonarola style armchairs, you encounter forms ranging from 19th-century European Renaissance Revival interpretations to Syrian nacre-shell inlaid folding chairs and Indian brass-inlaid examples.
Most pieces listed on this page date from the 19th century and the early 20th century, utilising timber frames such as walnut, oak, and fruitwood. These armchairs typically function as accent chairs or distinctive occasional seating within a room, drawing on folding chair traditions from Spain, Italy, and the Middle East.
How they were made
Carpenters constructed the primary frames of savonarola style armchairs using hardwoods like walnut, oak, and fruitwood, often shaping the slats to fold or interlock. Joinery relied on precise pivoting joints and classical carving techniques to render the characteristic X-frame silhouette.
Surface ornamentation involved extensive inlay work, utilising mother-of-pearl, bone, nacre-shell, and brass wire. Artisans also incorporated carved relief details and upholstered sections in leather or textile to complete the chairs.
Materials recorded across the inventory include brass, mother-of-pearl, bone inlay, leather, and textiles.
What varies in quality
Quality in these armchairs depends on the precision of the frame's construction and the complexity of the decorative inlay. Pieces featuring dense, intact mother-of-pearl or brass inlay display a higher level of artisanal skill than plain wooden versions.
The choice of primary timber and the crispness of carved elements further distinguish the pieces. Finer examples maintain structural stability in their folding mechanism alongside finely figured walnut or oak surfaces.
White, Allom & Co.
The Savonarola Style Armchairs Glossary
- X-frame
- A structural chair form utilising intersecting curved members that cross to support the seat and back. This scissor-action design allowed the chair to be easily collapsed and transported in historical periods.
- Curule
- An ancient chair shape featuring two curved legs forming an X-shape, adopted by later revival styles. It relates closely to the physical mechanics of folding armchairs.
- Nacre
- An iridescent inner layer of mollusc shell, commonly known as mother-of-pearl. Craftsmen utilised it for intricate geometric inlay on Middle Eastern and Syrian seats.
- Renaissance Revival
- A 19th-century design movement that drew inspiration from 15th- and 16th-century European decorative arts. Pieces from this period frequently incorporated classical motifs into domestic seating.
- Hispano-Moresque
- A style reflecting the blending of Islamic and Christian artistic traditions in the Iberian Peninsula. It often informs the complex geometric carving found on Spanish-influenced folding chairs.
Savonarola Style Armchairs: Frequently Asked Questions
What are savonarola style armchairs?
Savonarola style armchairs are folding seats constructed with multiple intersecting wooden slats that form an X-shape when open. They draw inspiration from historical Italian, Spanish, and Middle Eastern designs.
These chairs typically feature carved wooden frames, sometimes enhanced with inlay work made of mother-of-pearl, bone, or brass.
How were these folding chairs used?
Historically, X-frame chairs served as portable seating that could be folded and moved between rooms or carried during travel. Their design allowed them to function both as practical furniture and as formal seats of authority.
In modern settings, they are generally used as accent chairs or statement pieces in hallways, studies, or living rooms.
How do you distinguish regional styles?
Regional differences appear in the choice of materials, decorative motifs, and surface treatments applied to the wooden frame. Syrian and Middle Eastern versions frequently showcase dense mother-of-pearl or nacre-shell inlay.
European interpretations, such as Renaissance Revival or Gothic Revival pieces, rely more heavily on carved walnut or oak, classical mouldings, and leather upholstery.
How do I care for inlaid wood?
Inlaid wooden furniture requires a stable indoor environment protected from direct sunlight and dramatic humidity changes. Excessive dryness can cause delicate bone, brass, or mother-of-pearl elements to loosen from their wooden channels.
Dust the carved and inlaid surfaces gently with a soft, dry cloth and avoid applying liquid polishes that might seep beneath the inlay.