why some chairs loast their arms

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Form Follows Function Due to the influences of culture, architecture, technology, function, aesthetics, fashion, and social symbolism, the chair has been ever changing and over time has lost its arms and regained them over and over again. For the last 150 years the evolution of the chair has paralleled developments in architecture and technology and reflected the changing needs and concerns of society. Just as tastes change, so do other factors, such as expectations of comfort, which vary from period to period and between different cultures. The use of new technology and materials, frequently developed in other areas of industry and applied to furniture production, has fundamentally shaped the changes that have occurred in chair design. (Fiell, Modern Chair, 15) The chair has evolved due to changing fashions, import of exotic examples, and new materials. The Chair is one of the most ancient forms of furniture, dating from the 3rd dynasty of ancient Egypt. In old royal courts there was a social distinction between sitting on a chair with arms, on a chair with a back but no arms, and having to make due with a stool. (Encyclopedia Britannica) At first chairs were only found in the homes of the wealthy but they have progressed to the point that chairs are everywhere in our lives, home, school, work, business, waiting rooms, restaurants, and even in cars. Back in the 17th century homes began to have smaller, more private rooms, which meant chairs were Kent 2 used in different ways. This was the first time a chair was introduced with no arms. It was a high backed chair that was often used in hallways and along walls. (Miller, 66) However the chair is always changing. What maybe viewed as a rational solution in one period, therefore, may be viewed as exactly the opposite in another. (Fiell, 1000 Chairs, 8) On a functional level, a chair makes physical

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