Stools, Benches & Chairs

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Luxury chairs were signs of wealth and status. For most normal people seating consisted of sitting on the ground, on raised earth benches or small stools [ROESDAHL 1992: cat.561].

Stools and Benches

These rudimentary seats would have been all that was available for most people in Regia’s period.

Wooden 3 legged stool

Some have D-shaped holes in the centre of the seat that would have served as handholds for lifting the stools (Winchester, Dublin).

  • Lund, Sweden. Beech, L.17.5cm, 1000-1050AD [ROESDAHL 1992: cat.79]
  • York cat.8946. Burrwood AD 930-975 [Morris 2000]
  • York cat. 8947. Oak AD 975-1050 [Morris 2000]
  • York cat. 8948. Oak mid C14th – late C15th [Morris 2000]
  • Winchester AD 900-950 [Morris 2000: p.2304]
  • Fishamble St. C11th [Morris 2000: p.2304]


Wooden 4 legged stool

  • Hedeby, AD 850-1066 Oak, 29.6 x 20.6cm and 2.1cm thick. Leg holes are 2.6cm in diameter and the oak legs where wedged. The complete height was 19.5cm [WESTPHALEN 2002: p.87]
  • Dublin, [Morris 2000: p.2304)]


Wooden 4 legged bench

All of these benches have been interpreted as both seats and tables. Working marks in the wood

  • Sala Hytta (although probably a low table)
  • Oseberg c.AD 840 Oak, 92.5cm x 33cm. The legs are of a softer wood and are 28.5cm long.[GRIEG 1928 p.167]
  • Dublin


Wooden jointed bench

  • Dublin, Ireland. Cat. DW39. late C11th,
  • Dublin, Ireland. Cat. DW73.
  • Dublin, Ireland. Cat. DW74.
  • Hemsedal Church, Norway. L.130cm, AD 1200 (V2C cat.459)


Chairs and Thrones

Wooden ‘Box’ style chair

A unique find from the Viking Age although there are other examples from the later Medieval Age.

  • Oseberg, Norway. Beech, H.67cm, 800-850AD [ROESDAHL 1992: cat.163]
  • Lewis Chessman, 8 kings (out of 8), 8 queens (out of 8), 7 Bishops (out of 16). Walrus ivory [ROESDAHL 1992: cat.615] [ROBINSON 2004]


Throne

These are the same as the wooden ‘box’ style chairs, except that they are more ornate with carved arms and backs.

  • Hedeby Silver pendant [ROESDAHL 1992: cat.187]
  • Dublin DW12 – Chair terminal?


Wooden ‘backed’ chair

This is from a unique C11th find in southern Sweden. Chairs like this can only be used after 980AD and may only be used by members portraying RICH characters.

  • Lund, Sweden 1000-1050AD [ROESDAHL 1992: cat.561]
  • Tyldal church, Norway 1150-1200AD [ROESDAHL 1992: cat.457]

Earlier finds are from Oberflacht (AD C6th-C7th) and a boys grave in the Cologne Cathedral (AD 540) [WESTPHALEN 2002].

Folding Chairs

Folding chairs are known from both Egypt and Rome and seem to have continued through the ages. A problem we face is understanding the subtexts from the Viking Age. In Roman times folding chairs were used to symbolise power and this may still have been the case in the Viking Age.
BL-TCVI-f017v King David

Wooden ‘Curule’ folding stool

These are considered to be high status items similar to the Roman ‘Curule’ which were a symbol of political or warrior power. Historically they were often used by leaders when passing judgement. They have distinctive curved legs.

  • Dagobert's Throne, France, late 8th-9th century
  • Manuscript Images


Wooden 'simple' folding stool

Made from straight bits of wood. In Roman times they sat in them with the cross bar to the front and back [CROOM 2007:p.102]

Iron framed folding stool

  • Prittlewell Prince, England. C7th. [HIRST 2004]

Log chair

Chairs with low backs made carved from a single log seem to be a Scandinavian innovation.

  • Frykat pendant
  • Bjorko pendant
  • Lund, Sweden. Ivory figure, C11th. (V2C cat.602)



References

<nocite> GRIEG1928 HIRST2004 MORRIS2000 ROBINSON2004 ROESDAHL1992 WESTPHALEN2002

</nocite> <biblio force=false>#Template:Bib</biblio>