The Buzz: Klismos

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques, and Executive Director of Decorati manufacturer C. Mariani Antiques, Restoration & Custom in San Francisco.

Klismos, pronounced “KLIZ mahs” (plural is KLIZ moy) is a chair style first created in 4th-century BC Greece with outswept saber legs and a concave toprail back.

The chairs are sometimes given arms, sometimes not.

Klismos chairs were designed to be elegant and light, so that they could be easily carried. Their popularity in 5th-century BC Greece is attested to by their frequent appearance in Greek pottery paintings from that era. Here’s an image of Sappho, the ancient Greek poetess, taking a well deserved break in her groovy klismos chair (is it just me or does she have a VERY BIG HEAD?):

Around the 6th-century BC the klismos style virtually disappeared until the 18th century rediscoveries of Pompeii and Herculaneum when the style was revived as part of the Neoclassical movement.

The elite designers of the time, including Georges Jacob (the favorite designer for Napoleon I and Empress Josephine) and Thomas Hope played key roles in reviving the ancient form.

And klismos chairs have remained wildly popular since then. Consider this famous Klismos designed in 1937 by Robsjohn-Gibbons. Isn’t it dreamy?

And what are my favorite set of Klismos chairs? Glad you asked: they’re this 18th century Italian polychrome set of eight that we have at C. Mariani. They have cane seats and are embellished with extraordinary neoclassical motifs of colorful urns, scrolling vines and flowers:

Buzz Kaplan is a graduate of UCLA where he earned both Bachelor’s and Juris Doctorate degrees. Buzz began collecting antiques in the late 1970′s, while he was still practicing law and for the last 28 years has been a principal of Kaplan & Co., a consulting firm specializing in antique and other investment grade tangible asset collections. His clients have included dealers, major banks, foundations and other institutions seeking guidance in the acquisition and deaccession of 17th and 18th century European antiques as well as investment portfolios in gold, silver and platinum commodities. He is currently Executive Director of C. Mariani Antiques, Restoration & Custom in San Francisco.