Exhibited Roman Iron Military Officer Folding Chair

Late Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE. An iron folding chair or stool created for an esteemed military officer or high official that represents the tradition of ancient Italian command insignia. The X-form folding chair/stool has one long and two short seat rails with support rails across the bottom, flat feet, and round knobbed finials at the corners of the seat rails and also at each side of the hinge of the X form. Such chairs, known as "sella," were used as status symbols and markers of command during the Etruscan and early Roman periods.

By the Roman Republican and Imperial periods, the folding chair, known as the "Curulian chair," together with the fasces, constituted essential insignia of consuls, censors, praetors, and aediles. This type is an iron field chair, referred to as "sella castrensis" or a "camp stool," that was customarily used by military authority - usually reserved for the commanders in the field.

Cleaned and professionally conserved. Missing leather or fabric seat that would have been attached to the top, and presenting expected age wear with old nicks and abrasions, but otherwise excellent with rich patina that has developed over the ages.