Stoel 1735

Arnoldus van Geffen crafted this silver chair, approximately 8cm tall, in the 18th century. Its shimmering surface and miniature scale draw us in, highlighting the intricate craftsmanship. The chair's design features twisted legs and back supports, topped with decorative finials. The seat and backrest are geometrically framed, with the backrest notably left open, creating a void that plays with absence and presence. This emptiness invites contemplation about the function and symbolism of the chair itself. Consider the semiotic implications: a chair typically signifies rest, authority, or status. Yet, here, its impractical size and the missing panel destabilize these conventional associations. Is it a commentary on the superficiality of status symbols, or a reflection on the transience of power? The chair, therefore, exists not just as a physical object, but as a complex signifier, challenging our fixed notions of form and function. Through its precise execution and thoughtful composition, it functions as a philosophical statement rendered in silver.