Hip-Joint Armchair

Granada, Spain 19th century

Walnut and elm, partly veneered and inlaid with different woods, ivory and bone; leather and bronze.
34’3 H by 26’5 L by 19’9 W
The hip-joint armchair, called “Jamuga” in Spanish consists of four S-shaped supports on two runner-like stands. The seat and back of the chair are made of embossed and stamped leather, decorated with atauriques and David’s stars. The frame was ornately inlaid and carved. The precious tarsia a toppo marquetry on the frame of the chair consists of tiny polygonal pieces of different colored woods and bone arranged in geometric patterns.
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Description

The chair was inspired by the The Alhambra court workshop from the 15th century. However, this archetype of chair descends from the “sella curulis”, an ancient Roman folding seat used by consuls and high officials. This throne-like chair was used in the Medieval Age to symbolize secular power as the customary seat of the higher clergy. In the mid-nineteenth century, during the Renaissance Revival, Granada was inspiration for Romantic travelers, looking for reflections of the influences of Islamic woodwork.