97-407: Sedes is Latin for seat . Sedes may also refer to: Chair A chair is a type of seat , typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. It may be made of wood , metal , or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in various colors and fabrics. Chairs vary in design. An armchair has armrests fixed to
194-452: A bow behind the chair. Covers for sofas and couches are also available for homes with small children and pets. In the second half of the 20th century, some people used custom clear plastic covers for expensive sofas and chairs to protect them. Chair pads are cushions for chairs. They contain cotton or foam for padding. Some are decorative. In cars, they may be used to increase the height of the driver. Orthopedic back-rests provide support for
291-626: A centre at Kumasi . The Asante became tributaries of another Akan state, Denkyira but in the mid-17th century the Oyoko under Chief Oti Akenten started consolidating the Asante clans into a loose confederation against the Denkyira. The introduction of the Golden Stool ( Sika dwa ) was a means of centralization under Osei Tutu. According to legend, a meeting of all the clan heads of each of
388-515: A chair. Among the better off, the chairs might be painted to look like the ornate inlaid and carved chairs of the rich, but the craftsmanship was usually poor. The earliest images of chairs in China are from 6th-century Buddhist murals and stele , but the practice of sitting in chairs at that time was rare. It was not until the 12th century that chairs became widespread in China . Scholars disagree on
485-428: A chair; for example, the legs and frame may be made from metal and the seat and back may be made from plastic. Chairs may have hard surfaces of wood, metal, plastic, or other materials, or some or all of these hard surfaces may be covered with upholstery or padding. The design may be made of porous materials, or be drilled with holes for decoration; a low back or gaps can provide ventilation . The back may extend above
582-595: A chief by uttering the taboo oath of a chief or the King. In the end, the King's Court is the sentencing court, for only the King can order the death penalty . Before the Council of Elders and the King's Court, the litigants orate comprehensively. Anyone present can cross-examine the defendant or the accuser, and if the proceedings do not lead to a verdict , a special witness is called to provide additional testimony . If there
679-458: A chief called Odikro who was the owner of the village. The Odikro was responsible for the maintenance of law and order. He also served as a medium between the people of his jurisdiction, the ancestor and the gods. As the head of the village, the Odikro presided over the village council. The queen or Ohenemaa was an important figure in Asante political systems. She was the most powerful female in
776-530: A coalition of influential Asante city-states against their mutual oppressor, the Denkyira who held the Asante kingdom in its thrall. The Asante kingdom utterly defeated them at the Battle of Feyiase , proclaiming its independence in 1701. Subsequently, through hard line force of arms and savoir-faire diplomacy, the duo induced the leaders of the other Asante city-states to declare allegiance and adherence to Kumasi,
873-422: A distinction is made between fauteuil and chaise , the terms for chairs with and without armrests, respectively. In Germany, an armchair was once called a Krankensessel , or sick-chair, because it was intended for people who were too ill to stand or sit without extra support. If present, armrests will support part of the body weight through the arms if the arms are resting on the armrests. Elbow rest height
970-416: A flourishing trade with other African states due to the Asante gold wealth. The Asante also traded enslaved people. At this time the trade of enslaved people was focused towards the north. The army served as the effective tool to procure captives. These captives from war would go to Hausa and Mande traders and would be exchanged for goods from North Africa and other European goods. When the gold mines in
1067-430: A formal meal or banquet. A work chair is a specialized chair, adapted to the needs of a particular profession or setting. For example, a designing chair will be used for designers who sit at high easels; it will usually have added height. Some chairs have two curved bands of wood (also known as rockers) attached to the bottom of the legs. They are called rocking chairs . A kneeling chair adds an additional body part,
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#17327723841411164-706: A married woman, and adultery with any of the wives of a chief or the King. Assaults or insults of a chief or the court or the King also carried capital punishment . Cursing the King, calling down powers to harm the King, is considered an unspeakable act and carries the weight of death . One who invokes another to commit such an act must pay a heavy indemnity. Practitioners of harmful (evil) forms of sorcery and witchcraft receive death but not by decapitation, for their blood must not be shed. They receive execution by strangling, burning, or drowning. Ordinarily, families or lineages settle disputes between individuals. Nevertheless, such disputes can be brought to trial before
1261-410: A stool. If matched to a glider chair, the ottoman may be mounted on swing arms so that the ottoman rocks back and forth with the main glider. A chair cover is a temporary fabric cover for a side chair. They are typically rented for formal events such as wedding receptions to increase the attractiveness of the chairs and decor. The chair covers may come with decorative chair ties, a ribbon to be tied as
1358-410: A suite of rooms over them, with small windows of wooden lattice, of intricate but regular carved work, and some have frames cased with thin gold. The squares have a large apartment on each side, open in front, with two supporting pillars, which break the view and give it all the appearance of the proscenium or front of the stage of the older Italian theaters. They are lofty and regular, and the cornices of
1455-527: A very bold cane-work in alto-relievo. A drop-curtain of curiously plaited cane is suspended in front, and in each, we observed chairs and stools embossed with gold, and beds of silk, with scattered regalia. Winwood Reade also described his visit to the Asante Royal Palace of Kumasi in 1874: "We went to the king's palace, which consists of many courtyards, each surrounded with alcoves and verandahs, and having two gates or doors, so that each yard
1552-493: A volcanic hanging chair that is handmade out of volcanic rock. Peter Brenner, a Dutch-born German designer, has created a chair made from lollipop sugar – 60 pounds (27 kg) of confectioners' sugar. Chair design considers intended usage, ergonomics (how comfortable it is for the occupant), as well as non-ergonomic functional requirements such as size, stacking ability, folding ability, weight, durability , stain resistance, and artistic design. Ergonomic design distributes
1649-505: Is a male representative of his mother's family, where he is chosen from. The Ohene were divisional chiefs under the Amanhene. Their major function was to advise the Amanhene. The divisional chiefs were the highest order in various Asante state divisions. The divisions were made up of various villages put together. Examples of divisional chiefs included Krontihene, Nifahene, Benkumhene, Adontenhene and Kyidomhene. Each village in Asante had
1746-409: Is altered). However, padding does distribute the weight by increasing the area of contact between the chair and the body, and thus reducing the amount of pressure at any given point. By contrast, a hard wood chair feels hard because the contact point between the occupant and the chair is small. In lieu of padding, flexible materials, such as wicker, may be used instead with similar effects of distributing
1843-485: Is an early work showing his and his wife Jeanne Claude’s iconic style of partially or wholly hiding objects within wrapped cloth and ropes. Their work developed into large-scale public site-specific artworks and environmental art, which the pair are most well known for. For Wrapped Chair , Christo plays with the identity of the object by concealing parts and revealing others. There are multiple variations of this work and similar ones involving chairs displayed at museums around
1940-497: Is no longer common to sit at floor level. In Europe, it was owing in great measure to the Renaissance that the chair ceased to be a privilege of state and became a standard item of furniture for anyone who could afford to buy it. Once the idea of privilege faded the chair speedily came into general use. Almost at once the chair began to change every few years to reflect the fashions of the day. Thomas Edward Bowdich visited
2037-403: Is one used by employees within an office. Modern office chairs are usually adjustable and wheeled. Caster wheels are attached to the feet of chairs to give more mobility. A dining room chair is a specific type of design, used around a dining room table. It can be found in most ordinary residential homes, and also may appear in formal settings, such as any formal event or reception that includes
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#17327723841412134-412: Is only one witness, their sworn oath assures the truth is told. Moreover, that he favours or is hostile to either litigant is unthinkable. Cases with no witness, like sorcery or adultery are settled by ordeals, like drinking poison . Ancestor Veneration establishes the Asante moral system , and it provides the principal foundation for governmental sanctions. The link between mother and child centres
2231-429: Is the distance between rows of seats. In some airplanes and stadiums the leg room (the seat pitch less the thickness of the seat at thigh level) is so small that it is sometimes insufficient for the average person. A wide variety of chairs have emerged throughout the ages, some based on formal usages, and others based on domestic needs, and some based on needs within the workplace or various professions. An office chair
2328-463: Is the horizontal distance from the back most part of the buttocks to the back of the lower leg. This anthropometric measurement is used to determine the seat depth. Mass-produced chairs are typically 15–17 inches (38–43 cm) deep. Additional anthropometric measurements may be relevant to designing a chair. Hip breadth is used for chair width and armrest width. The buttock-knee length is used to determine "leg room" between rows of chairs. "Seat pitch"
2425-462: Is then selected. That nomination was sent to a council of elders, who represented other lineages in the town or district . The Elders then presented the nomination to the assembled people. If the assembled citizens disapproved of the nominee, the process was restarted. Chosen, the new Kings were enstooled by the Elders, who admonished him with expectations. The chosen Kings swore a solemn oath to
2522-410: Is used to determine the height of the armrests. Armrests should support the forearm and not the sensitive elbow area. Hence in some chair designs, the armrest is not continuous to the chair back, but is missing in the elbow area. Armrests further have the function of making entry and exit from the chair easier (but from the side it becomes more difficult). For someone seated, the buttock popliteal length
2619-463: The codified constitution of the Ashanti Empire. The Asante state, in effect, was a theocracy . It invokes religious, rather than secular -legal postulates. What the modern state views as crimes , Ashanti view practically as sins . Antisocial acts disrespect the ancestors, and are only secondarily harmful to the community . If the chief or King fails to punish such acts, he invokes
2716-511: The Asantehene held immense power in Asante, but did not enjoy absolute royal rule . He was obliged to share considerable legislative and executive powers with Asante's sophisticated bureaucracy. But the Asantehene was the only person in Asante permitted to invoke the death sentence in cases of crime. During wartime, the King acted as Supreme Commander of the Asante army , although during
2813-711: The Ashanti Empire , was an Akan state that lasted from 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana . It expanded from the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana and also parts of Ivory Coast and Togo . Due to the empire's military prowess , wealth , architecture, sophisticated hierarchy and culture , the Asante Empire has been extensively studied and has more historic records written by European, primarily British, authors than any other indigenous culture of sub-Saharan Africa . Starting in
2910-512: The Fante . The Asante held their own against the British in the first two of the five Anglo-Ashanti Wars , killing British army general Sir Charles MacCarthy and keeping his skull as a gold-rimmed drinking cup in 1824. British forces later burnt and sacked the Asante capital of Kumasi , however, and following the final Asante defeat at the fifth Anglo-Ashanti War, the Asante empire became part of
3007-596: The Odikro . All villages were then grouped together to form divisions headed by a divisional head called Ohene . The various divisions were politically grouped to form a state which was headed by an Omanhene or Amanhene . Finally, all Asante states formed the Asante Empire with the Asantehene as their king. The Asante government was built upon a sophisticated bureaucracy in Kumasi, with separate ministries to handle
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3104-600: The Prempeh I as a present upon his return from exile. The original palace of the Asantehene in Kumasi was burned down by the British in 1874. From European accounts, the edifice was massive and ornately built. In 1819, English traveler and author, Thomas Edward Bowdich described the palace complex as ...an immense building of a variety of oblong courts and regular squares [with] entablatures exuberantly adorned with bold fan and trellis work of Egyptian character. They have
3201-550: The Sahel started to play out, the Asante kingdom rose to prominence as the major player in the gold trade. At the height of the Asante empire, the Asante people became wealthy through the trading of gold mined from their territory. Asante political organization was originally centred on clans headed by a paramount chief or O manhene . One particular clan, the Oyoko , settled in the Asante's sub-tropical forest region, establishing
3298-690: The Seychelles . The Asante Union was dissolved . A British Resident was permanently placed in the city of Kumasi, and soon after a British fort was built there . As a final measure of resistance, the remaining Asante court not exiled to the Seychelles mounted an offensive against the British Residents at the Kumasi Fort. The resistance was led by Asante queen Yaa Asantewaa , Queen-Mother of Ejisu. From March 28 to late September 1900,
3395-467: The Twi words ɔsa meaning "war" and nti meaning "because of". This name comes from the Asante's origin as a kingdom created to fight the Denkyira kingdom. The variant name "Ashanti" comes from British reports transcribing "Asante" as the British heard it pronounced, as-hanti . The hyphenation was subsequently dropped and the name Ashanti remained, with various spellings including Ashantee common into
3492-626: The egg-shaped pod chair that turns. It also introduced the first mass-produced plastic chairs such as the Bofinger chair in 1966. Technological advances led to molded plywood and wood laminate chairs, as well as chairs made of leather or polymers . Mechanical technology incorporated into the chair enabled adjustable chairs, especially for office use. Motors embedded in the chair resulted in massage chairs . Chairs can be made from wood, metal, or other strong materials, like stone or acrylic. In some cases, multiple materials are used to construct
3589-404: The homicide is accidental, the murderer pays compensation to the lineage of the deceased. The insane cannot be executed because of the absence of responsible intent – except for murder or cursing the King; in the case of cursing the king, drunkenness is a valid defense. Capital crimes include murder, incest within the female or male line, and intercourse with a menstruating woman, rape of
3686-466: The nmerante , that tended to democratize and liberalize the political process in the empire. The council of elders undertook actions only after consulting a representative of the nmerante . Their views were taken seriously as they participated in decision-making in the empire. The current residence of the Asantehene is the Manhyia Palace built in 1925 by the British and presented to
3783-552: The 15th century. This led to trade in gold , ivory , slaves , and other goods with the Portuguese . On May 15, 1817, the Englishman Thomas Bowdich entered Kumasi. He remained there for several months, was impressed, and on his return to England wrote a book, Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee . His praise of the kingdom was disbelieved as it contradicted prevailing prejudices. Joseph Dupuis ,
3880-492: The 19th century, the fighting was increasingly handled by the Ministry of War in Kumasi. Each member of the confederacy was also obliged to send annual tribute to Kumasi. The Asantehene (King of all Asante) reigned over all and was King of the division of Kumasi, the nation's capital, and the Asante Empire. He was elected in the same manner as all other chiefs. In this hierarchical structure, every chief or King swore fealty to
3977-546: The Asante Empire in 1900. The wars were mainly due to Asante attempts to establish a stronghold over the coastal areas of present-day Ghana. Coastal peoples such as the Fante and the Ga came to rely on British protection against Asante incursions. In December 1895, the British left Cape Coast with an expeditionary force to start what is known as the Third Anglo-Ashanti War , see below . The Asantehene directed
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4074-560: The Asante Empire was covered with moist semi- deciduous forest whilst the Guinea savanna covered the northern part of the state. The Guinea Savanna consists of short deciduous and fire resistant trees. Riparian forests also occur along the Afram River and streams of the savanna zone. Soils in Asante were mainly of two types; forest ochrosols in the southern part of Asante whilst the savanna ochrosols were confined to northern part of
4171-587: The Asante and British were engaged in what would become known as the War of the Golden Stool . In the end, the British were victorious; they exiled Asantewaa and other Asante leaders to the Seychelles to join Asante King Prempeh I. In January 1902, Britain finally designated the Asante kingdom as a protectorate . the Asante kingdom was restored to self-rule on 31 January 1935. Asante King Prempeh II
4268-423: The Asante capital. From the beginning, King Osei Tutu and priest Anokye followed an expansionist and an imperialistic provincial foreign policy. According to folklore, Okomfo Anokye is believed to have visited Agona-Akrofonso . Realizing the strengths of a loose confederation of Akan states, Osei Tutu strengthened centralization of the surrounding Akan groups and expanded the powers of the judiciary system within
4365-417: The Asante settlements was called just prior to declaring independence from Denkyira. Those included members from Nsuta, Mampong, Dwaben, Bekwai and Kokofu. In this meeting the Golden Stool was commanded down from the heavens by Okomfo Anokye, chief-priest or sage advisor to Asantehene Osei Tutu I and floated down from the heavens into the lap of Osei Tutu I. Okomfo Anokye declared the stool to be symbolic of
4462-552: The Asante to not resist the British advance, as he feared reprisals from Britain if the expedition turned violent. Shortly thereafter, Governor William Maxwell arrived in Kumasi as well. Britain annexed the territories of the Asante and the Fanti and constituted the Ashanti Crown Colony on 26 September 1901. Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh was deposed and arrested, and he and other Asante leaders were sent into exile in
4559-685: The Asantehene never ignored the decisions of the Asanteman council. Doing so could get him de-stooled from the throne. The Asante Empire was made up of metropolitan and provincial states. The metropolitan states were made up of Asante citizens known as amanfo . The provincial states were other kingdoms absorbed into the empire. Every metropolitan Asante state was headed by the Amanhene or paramount chief. Each of these paramount chiefs served as principal rulers of their own states, where they exerted executive, legislative and judicial powers. The Ohene
4656-608: The Asantehene, but agree that it was a sign of a highly developed government with a complex system of checks and balances . At the top of Asante's power structure sat the Asantehene , the King of Asante. Each Asantahene was enthroned on the sacred Golden Stool, the Sika 'dwa, an object that came to symbolise the very power of the King. Osei Kwadwo (r. 1764–1777) began the meritocratic system of appointing central officials according to their ability, rather than their birth. As King,
4753-665: The Ashanti army conquered Denkyira , giving the Ashanti access to the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean coastal trade with Europeans, notably the Dutch . The economy of the Asante Empire was mainly based on the trade of gold and agricultural exports as well as slave trading , craft work and trade with markets further north . The Asante Empire fought several wars with neighboring kingdoms and lesser organized groups such as
4850-484: The Earth Goddess and to his ancestors to fulfill his duties honorably in which he "sacrificed" himself and his life for the betterment of the state. This elected and enstooled King enjoyed a great majestic ceremony with much spectacle and celebration. He reigned with much despotic power, including the ability to make judgments of life and death on his subjects. However, he did not enjoy absolute rule . Upon
4947-612: The Empire, because the Ohene represents her or her family and is either her son or her sister's son. She has the power to be King, if she desires but would rather see her son or her maternal nephew(which is also considered her 2nd child in African culture). She had the prerogative of being consulted in the process of installing a chief or the king, as she played a major role in the nomination and selection. She settled disputes involving women and
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#17327723841415044-704: The Gold Coast colony on 1 January 1902. Today, the Asante Kingdom survives as a constitutionally protected, sub-national traditional state in union with the Republic of Ghana. The current king of the Asante kingdom is Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Asantehene . The Asante kingdom is the home to Lake Bosumtwi , Ghana's only natural lake. The state's current economic revenue is derived mainly from trading in gold bars , cocoa , kola nuts and agriculture . The name Asante means "because of war". The word derives from
5141-539: The Slumber Chair, moulded plastic chairs and ergonomic chairs. The recliner became a popular form, at least in part due to radio and television. In the 1930s, stair lifts were commercially available to help people suffering from Polio and other diseases to navigate stairs. The modern movement of the 1960s produced new forms of chairs: the butterfly chair (originally called the Hardoy chair), bean bags , and
5238-574: The Stool, swords and other regalia which symbolized his office and authority. He also lost his position as custodian of the land. However, even if destooled from office, the king remained a member of the royal family from which he was elected. An impeachment occurred during the reign of Kusi Obodom , caused by a failed invasion of Dahomey . Okomfo Anokye was responsible for creating the Seventy-Seven Laws of Komfo Anokye which served as
5335-475: The anger of the ancestors and the gods, and is therefore in danger of impeachment . The penalty for some crimes (sins) is death, but this is seldom imposed; a more common penalty is banishment or imprisonment . The King typically exacts or commutes all capital cases . These commuted sentences by King and chiefs sometimes occur by ransom or bribe ; they are regulated in such a way that they should not be mistaken for fines , but are considered as revenue to
5432-510: The arm of easy chairs or sofas and used to hold remote controls for home cinemas . They are counter-weighted so as to not slide off the arms under the weight of the remote controls. Chair glides are attached to the feet of chairs to prevent them from scratching or snagging on the floor. An antimacassar is a cloth covering for a headrest to protect the fabric and enable easy washing. Christo created Wrapped Chair in 1961 with found objects (chairs), lacquer, canvas, rope, and paint. It
5529-442: The back. Car seats sometimes have built-in and adjustable lumbar supports. These can also be used on kitchen chairs. Chair mats are mats meant to cover different types of flooring. They are usually made from plastic. This allows chairs on wheels to roll easily over the carpet and protects the carpet or floor. They come in various shapes, some specifically sized to fit partially under a desk. Remote control bags can be draped over
5626-430: The best seated posture is a reclined posture of 100°–110°. In order to recline, the back-rest may be independently adjustable. A reclining seat and back will reduce the load on the occupant's back muscles. In general, if the occupant is supposed to sit for a long time, weight needs to be taken off the seat area and thus "easy" chairs intended for long periods of sitting are generally at least slightly reclined. The back of
5723-404: The body of the chair in order to give height adjustment and more comfort to the user. Some chairs have foot rests. Around 15% of women and 2% of men need foot rests, even at the 16-inch (41 cm) chair height. A stool or other simple chair may have a simple straight or curved bar near the bottom for the sitter to place their feet on. Actual chair dimensions are determined by measurements of
5820-429: The centralized government. This loose confederation of small city-states grew into a kingdom and eventually an empire looking to expand its borders. Newly conquered areas had the option of joining the empire or becoming tributary states. Opoku Ware I , Osei Tutu's successor, extended the borders, embracing much of Ghana's territory. European contact with the Asante on the Gulf of Guinea coast region of Africa began in
5917-491: The chair will support some of the weight of the occupant, reducing the weight on other parts of the body. Some back-rests support only the lumbar region, while shoulder height back-rests support the entire back and shoulders . Headrests support the head as well and are important in vehicles for preventing " whiplash " neck injuries in rear-end collisions where the head is jerked back suddenly. Reclining chairs typically have at least shoulder-height back-rests to shift weight to
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#17327723841416014-859: The combustibility of chairs when they are stacked. The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association (BIFMA) defines ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 (titled: General-Purpose Office Chairs – Tests) for testing of commercial-grade chairs. It requires: The specification further defines heavier "proof" loads that chairs must withstand. Under these higher loads, the chair may be damaged, but it must not fail catastrophically. Large institutions that make bulk purchases will reference these standards within their own even more detailed criteria for purchase. Governments will often issue standards for purchases by government agencies (e.g. Canada's Canadian General Standards Board CAN/CGSB 44.15M on "Straight Stacking Chair, Steel" or CAN/CGSB 44.232-2002 on "Task Chairs for Office Work with Visual Display Terminal"). Chairs may be rated by
6111-509: The context was religious in that he was a symbol of the people in the flesh: the living, dead or yet to be born. When the king committed an act not approved of by the counsel of elders or the people, he could possibly be impeached , and demoted to a commoner. The existence of aristocratic organizations and the council of elders is evidence of an oligarchic tendency in Asante political life. Though older men tended to monopolize political power, Asante instituted an organization of young men,
6208-459: The early 20th century. Between the 10th and 12th centuries AD, the ethnic Akan people migrated into the forest belt of Southern Ghana and established several Akan states: Ashanti , Brong-Ahafo , Assin -Denkyira- Fante Confederacy - Mankessim Kingdom (present-day Central region ), Akyem - Akwamu - Akuapem - Kwahu (present-day Eastern region and Greater Accra ), and Ahanta - Aowin - Sefwi - Wassa (present-day Western region ). Asante had
6305-460: The edge of a high stool with feet on the floor is less harmful for the lower back than sitting up straight on a conventional chair. Different types of chairs can have a variety of seating positions, depending on the intended task. Typically, chairs intended for people completing work or dining can only recline very slightly (otherwise the occupant is too far away from the desk or table). Dental chairs are necessarily reclined. Research has shown that
6402-425: The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries AD, the appellation "Abirempon" had formalized and politicized to embrace those who conducted trade from which the whole state benefited. The state rewarded entrepreneurs who attained such accomplishments with Mena (elephant tail) which was the "heraldic badge" Obirempon s had a fair amount of legislative power in their regions, more than the local nobles of Dahomey but less than
6499-530: The empire. The predominant fauna or food rich wildlife and animal species encountered in the Asante Empire were the hen , sheep , goat , duck , turkey , rabbit , guinea fowl , fish , and the porcupine which became the national emblem of the state, as well as about thirty multipurpose flora species of trees and shrubs and over thirty-five ornamental plants which beautified the environs of Asante. These tree/shrub-crop-animal (hen/fish) components were intensively integrated spatially and/or sequentially on
6596-488: The entire network, which includes ancestors and fellow men as well. Its judicial system emphasizes the Asante conception of rectitude and good behaviour , which favours harmony among the people. The rules were made by Nyame (Supreme God ) and the ancestors, and one must behave accordingly. The Asante Empire was one of a series of states along the coast including Dahomey, Benin , and Oyo . The Asante had mountains and large agricultural surpluses. The southern part of
6693-460: The first British consul in Kumasi, arrived on March 23, 1820. Both Bowdich and Dupuis secured a treaty with the Asantehene, but the governor, Hope Smith, did not meet Ashanti expectations. From 1824 till 1899 there were five Anglo-Ashanti wars between the Asante Empire and Great Britain and its allies. The British lost or negotiated truces in several of these wars, with the final war resulting in British burning of Kumasi and official occupation of
6790-564: The government. The council formed the Legislature of Asante governmental system. It was made up of the Asantehene, the Queen mother as well as the state chiefs and their ministers. The election of Kings and the Asantehene ( King of Kings or emperor ) himself followed a pattern. The senior female of the kingly lineage nominated the eligible males. This senior female then consulted the elders, male and female, of that line. The final candidate
6887-427: The height of the occupant's head, which can optionally contain a headrest. Chairs can also be made from more creative materials, such as recycled materials like cutlery and wooden play bricks, pencils, plumbing tubes, rope, corrugated cardboard , and PVC pipe . In rare cases, chairs are made out of unusual materials, especially as a form of art or experimentation. Raimonds Cirulis, a Latvian interior designer, created
6984-405: The human body or anthropometric measurements. The two most relevant anthropometric measurement for chair design is the popliteal height and buttock popliteal length. For someone seated, the popliteal height is the distance from the underside of the foot to the underside of the thigh at the knees. It is sometimes called the "stool height". The term "sitting height" is reserved for the height to
7081-467: The inscription From Queen Victoria to the King of Ashantee. A copy of the Times, 17 October 1843. With these were many specimens of Moorish and Ashanti handicraft." This institution assisted the Asantehene and served as an advisory body to the king. The council was made up of Amanhene or paramount chiefs who were leaders of the various Asante states. The council also included other provincial chiefs. By law
7178-401: The knees, to support the weight of the body. A sit-stand chair distributes most of the weight of the occupant to the feet. Many chairs are padded or have cushions . Padding can be on the seat of the chair only, on the seat and back, or also on any arm rests or foot rest the chair may have. Padding will not shift the weight to different parts of the body (unless the chair is so soft that the shape
7275-423: The late 17th century, the Asante king Osei Tutu ( c. 1695 – 1717) and his adviser Okomfo Anokye established the Asante Kingdom, with the Golden Stool of Asante as a sole unifying symbol. Osei Tutu oversaw a massive Asante territorial expansion, building up the army by introducing new organisation and turning a disciplined royal and paramilitary army into an effective fighting machine. In 1701,
7372-407: The legs of beasts or the figures of captives. Generally speaking, the higher ranked an individual was, the taller and more sumptuous was the chair he sat on and the greater the honor. On state occasions, the pharaoh sat on a throne , often with a little footstool in front of it. The average Egyptian family seldom had chairs, and if they did, it was usually only the master of the household who sat on
7469-419: The length of time that they may be used comfortably – an 8-hour chair, a 24-hour chair, and so on. Such chairs are specified for tasks which require extended periods of sitting, such as for receptionists or supervisors of a control panel. In place of a built-in footrest, some chairs come with a matching ottoman . An ottoman is a short stool that is intended to be used as a footrest but can sometimes be used as
7566-783: The main Palace of the Ashanti Empire in 1819, and observed chairs engrossed with gold in the empire. In the 1800s, chairs became more common in American households and usually there was a chair provided for every family member to sit down to dinner. By the 1830s, factory-manufactured “fancy chairs” like those by Sears , Roebuck, and Co. allowed families to purchase machined sets. With the Industrial Revolution , chairs became much more available. The 20th century saw an increasing use of technology in chair construction with such things as all-metal folding chairs, metal-legged chairs,
7663-671: The new Ashanti Union ( the Ashanti Kingdom ) and allegiance was sworn to the stool and to Osei Tutu as the Asantehene . The newly declared Ashanti union subsequently waged war against and defeated Denkyira. The stool remains sacred to the Asante as it is believed to contain the Sunsum — spirit or soul of the Asante people. In the 1670s the head of the Oyoko clan, Osei Kofi Tutu I , began another rapid consolidation of Akan peoples via diplomacy and warfare. King Osei Kofi Tutu I and his chief advisor, Okomfo Kwame Frimpong Anokye led
7760-489: The one above him—from village and subdivision, to division, to the chief of Kumasi, and finally the Asantehene swore fealty to the State . The elders circumscribed the power of the Asantehene , and the chiefs of other divisions considerably checked the power of the King. This in practical effect created a system of checks and balances. As the symbol of the nation, the Asantehene received significant deference ritually, for
7857-409: The reasons for the adoption of the chair. The most common theories are that the chair was an outgrowth of indigenous Chinese furniture, that it evolved from a camp stool imported from Central Asia, that it was introduced to China by Christian missionaries in the 7th century, and that the chair came to China from India as a form of Buddhist monastic furniture. In modern China, unlike Korea or Japan , it
7954-542: The regional governors of the Oyo Empire. In addition to handling the region's administrative and economic matters, the obirempon also acted as the Supreme Judge of their jurisdiction, presiding over court cases. The Kotoko was a government council in the Asante government. Politically, the kotoko council served as the counterweight to the king's council of elders and basically embodied the aristocratic party in
8051-483: The seat; a recliner is upholstered and features a mechanism that lowers the chair's back and raises into place a footrest ; a rocking chair has legs fixed to two long curved slats; and a wheelchair has wheels fixed to an axis under the seat. Chair comes from the early 13th-century English word chaere , from Old French chaiere ("chair, seat, throne"), from Latin cathedra ("seat"). The chair has been used since antiquity, although for many centuries it
8148-464: The shoulders. There may be cases where padding is not desirable, such as chairs that are intended primarily for outdoor use. Where padding is not desirable, contouring may be used instead. A contoured seat pan attempts to distribute weight without padding. By matching the shape of the occupant's buttocks , weight is distributed and maximum pressure is reduced. A chair may or may not have armrests; chairs with armrests are termed "armchairs". In French ,
8245-449: The state's affairs. Of particular note was Asante's Foreign Office based in Kumasi; despite its small size, it allowed the state to pursue complex negotiations with foreign powers. The Office was divided into departments to handle relations separately with the British , French , Dutch , and Arabs . Scholars of Ashanti history, such as Larry Yarak and Ivor Wilks , disagree over the power of this sophisticated bureaucracy in comparison to
8342-429: The state, which for the most part welcomes quarrels and litigation . Commutations tend to be far more frequent than executions . Asante are repulsed by murder , and suicide is considered murder. They decapitate those who commit suicide, the conventional punishment for murder. The suicide thus had contempt for the court, for only the King may kill an Asante. In a murder trial , intent must be established. If
8439-427: The stool, the King was sacred. He served as the holy intermediary between the people and the ancestors. His powers theoretically were more apparent than real and hinged on his attention to the advice and decisions of the Council of Elders. Kings of the Asante Empire who violated any of the oaths taken during his or her enstoolment, were destooled by Kingmakers. For instance, if a king punished citizens arbitrarily or
8536-429: The top of the head when seated. For American men, the median popliteal height is 16.3 inches (41 cm) and for American women it is 15.0 inches (38 cm). The popliteal height, after adjusting for heels, clothing and other issues, is used to determine the height of the chair seat. Mass-produced chairs are typically 17 inches (43 cm) high. Researchers such as Mary Blade and Galen Cranz found that sitting on
8633-434: The weight of the occupant to various parts of the body . This is done by having an easily adjustable seat height. A seat that is higher results in dangling feet and increased pressure on the underside of the knees (" popliteal fold "). It may also result in no weight on the feet which means more weight elsewhere. A lower seat may shift too much weight to the "seat bones" (" ischial tuberosities "). Gas springs are attached to
8730-722: The weight. Chair seats vary widely in construction and may or may not match construction of the chair's back (back-rest). Some systems include: Design considerations for chairs have been codified into standards. ISO 9241 , "Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) – Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements", is the most common one for modern chair design. There are multiple specific standards for different types of chairs. Dental chairs are specified by ISO 6875. Bean bag chairs are specified by ANSI standard ASTM F1912-98. ISO 7174 specifies stability of rocking and tilting chairs. ASTM F1858-98 specifies plastic lawn chairs. ASTM E1822-02b defines
8827-427: The world, including a similar work titled Two Wrapped Chairs from 1961. In the same year that Christo created Wrapped Chair , Pablo Picasso also created La Chaise . Made of painted sheet metal, Picasso’s sculptural chair exemplifies what many artists love about the chair as a subject: the contrast of form and function. Ashanti Empire The Asante Empire ( Asante Twi : Asanteman ), also known as
8924-579: Was a symbolic article of state and dignity rather than an article for ordinary use. "The chair" is still used as the emblem of authority in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom and Canada , and in many other settings. In keeping with this historical connotation of the "chair" as the symbol of authority, committees, boards of directors, and academic departments all have a 'chairman' or 'chair'. Endowed professorships are referred to as chairs. It
9021-513: Was a thoroughfare . . . But the part of the palace fronting the street was a stone house, Moorish in its style . . . with a flat roof and a parapet, and suites of apartments on the first floor. It was built by Fanti masons many years ago. The rooms upstairs remind me of Wardour Street. Each was a perfect Old Curiosity Shop. Books in many languages, Bohemian glass, clocks, silver plate, old furniture, Persian rugs, Kidderminster carpets, pictures and engravings, numberless chests and coffers. A sword bearing
9118-401: Was exposed as corrupt, he would be destooled. Destoolment entailed kingmakers removing the sandals of the king and bumping his buttocks on the ground three times. Once destooled from office, his sanctity and thus reverence were lost, as he could not exercise any of the powers he had as king; this includes Chief administrator, Judge, and Military Commander. The now previous king was dispossessed of
9215-457: Was involved in decision-making alongside the Council of elders and chiefs. Not only did she participate in the judicial and legislative processes, but also in the making and unmaking of war, and the distribution of land. Successful entrepreneurs who accumulated large wealth and men as well as distinguished themselves through heroic deeds were awarded social and political recognition by being called "Abirempon" or "Obirempon" which means big men. By
9312-922: Was not until the 16th century that chairs became common. Until then, people sat on chests , benches , and stools, which were the ordinary seats of everyday life. The number of chairs which have survived from an earlier date is exceedingly limited; most examples are of ecclesiastical , seigneurial or feudal origin. Chairs were in existence since at least the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt ( c. 3100 BC ). They were covered with cloth or leather , were made of carved wood, and were much lower than today's chairs – chair seats were sometimes only 10 inches (25 cm) high. In ancient Egypt , chairs appear to have been of great richness and splendor. Fashioned of ebony and ivory , or of carved and gilded wood , they were covered with costly materials, magnificent patterns and supported upon representations of
9409-469: Was restored in 1957, and the Asante kingdom entered a state union with Ghana on independence from the United Kingdom. The Asante state was a centralized state made up of a hierarchy of heads starting from the " Abusua Panyin" who was head of a family or lineage. The family was the basic political unit in the empire. The family or lineage followed the village organization which was headed by
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