Though the argument could be made for Eero Arnio’s “Ball Chair,” the coolest chair of all time is the “Manila” or “Philippine,” better-known-as the wicker peacock chair.
The chairs which originally came into vogue in the United States in the early 20th Century when they were imported from the Phillipines, became a staple for photography studios as well as parlors and smoking rooms in wealthy homes. The throne-like chair, made of sturdy but lightweight material, was valued for its exotic look.
In the first half of the 20th Century, the chair was often associated with Hollywood celebrities who were regularly photographed in them. In the latter half of the Century, it came to be associated with hipster youth, as well as the Black Power movement—thanks to a very popular poster photograph of Huey P. Newton.
Today, many people associate the chair with Morticia Addams of the Addams Family, many often describing the peacock chair as a “Morticia Addams chair.”
The chair has been a part of our pop cultural landscape for over 100 years and according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, it’s seeing a resurgence in popularity.
The peacock chair can make anyone look absolutely regal. Even Al Di Meola.
Enjoy, here, this treasury of wicker peacock cool:
Marc Bolan
Al Green
Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO with Easter Bunny
Al Di Meola
Brigitte Bardot
You can never have enough Bardot
Bette Davis
Cat Power
Diana Ross
Dolly Parton
Francoise Hardy
Jasper Johns
Katherine Hepburn
Elizabeth Taylor
Norma Talmadge
Robert Plant
The Strawberry Alarm Clock
Truman Capote
George Clinton, Funkadelic
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Cradle yourself in retro-futurist comfort: Eero Aarnio’s Ball Chair