Chair 1867 - 1869

This chair, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was crafted by the Herter Brothers. Observe the chair’s decorative motifs; this is not merely a functional object, but a statement of cultural memory. The lyre-shaped arms are immediately striking. The lyre, originating from ancient Greece, was an emblem of Apollo, god of music and harmony. Its presence here evokes the classical ideals of order, reason, and civilization. A symbol that reappears time and again, in architecture, painting and sculpture, each time subtly shifting, molded by the cultural anxieties and aspirations of its era. And what of the upholstered fabric, adorned with floral patterns? Flowers, since antiquity, have symbolized renewal, beauty, and the cyclical nature of life. In the subconscious, these recurring emblems tap into primal emotions and the collective unconscious. The non-linear path of symbols reminds us that history is not a straight line, but a labyrinthine network of echoes and resonances.