Cranbrook’s “Savonarola” Chair is attributed to Johannes (John) Kirchmayer, a founding member of the Boston Society of Arts and Crafts. It was used by the Detroit Society of Arts and Craft’s (DSAC) Little Theatre group in the 1918 production of John Masefield’s “Philip the King,” and again in Christopher Marlowe’s “Dr. Faustus.” While we do not know exactly when George Booth acquired the chair from the DSAC, by 1921 it was located in his office in Cranbrook House. In 1933 the chair was a prominent feature in the Oak Room before finding its permanent home in the Still Room where it can be seen today.

Folding seats or “scissors chairs,” like the “Savonarola” Chair, have a long history, dating back to at least 1567 B.C. during the New Kingdom of dynasties in Egypt. The early Egyptian folding stool, designed as a portable piece of furniture, was constructed from a pair of wooden frames with a slung leather seat. Wall paintings in the Tomb of Amenhotep Huy (ruler of Lower Nubia Kush under King Tutankhamun) document the use of the folding stool during this period.

The use of the folding chair was adopted by the Romans and was known as a “curule” chair. It was treasured by the commanders of Roman armies as practical, comfortable, and portable for use on long campaigns to the distant edges of the empire. The name “curule” refers to the “sella curulis” or the “chair of the office” reserved for use by Roman officials, particularly when they were seated in public. The earliest images of these chairs can be found on ancient Roman coins.