It is probable that the very first chairs
to be created on this planet were made
in ancient Egypt.
It is most remarkable that the form of some
of those earliest chairs, with seats of plaited
reeds or woven rushes and slatted backs,
would not look out of place in any home
today, some five thousand years later.
Above is an illustration taken from the
tomb of Rekhmire, dating from the reign
of Tuthmosis III ,1504 - 1450 B.C. It shows
a seated chairmaker using a bow drill.
A large block of wood appears to be
serving as a work bench or saw bench,
and there seem to be two hand adzes, a
try square, and three completed chair legs
in the picture.
For those who respect tradition, there
cannot be many traditions as venerable as
the making of wooden chairs with hand
tools. I could make a chair using that
Egyptian's tools, and he could make
a chair using mine, without difficulty,
even though we are parted by some
thirty five centuries.
Quite a long time, indeed.
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