Anoniem (1620)

[python_regius]

This is a remarkable chair: it can actually be folded. Collapsible chairs date back to early Rome and the city's public dignitaries. But in the Dutch Republic of the seventeenth century the chair was also a symbol of civic honour. Which explains the superbly carved decoration. Behind the sculpted lion's head is a hinge. For the rest, the motifs are mainly nautical, including dolphins. Carved beneath the armrests are a triton (sea-deity) and a naiad (sea-nymph).    rijksmuseum.nl