Mayor of Braşov’s Armchair

The piece is part of the permanent exhibition of the County History Museum Braşov, hosted by the House of the Council, the city’s most important building during the Medieval period and the location of the local mayor’s office in that age. The object represents one of the symbols of the administrative and judicial power held by the city of Braşov’s mayor-judge, along with the sword – symbol of justice distributed by the judge on Earth in the name of God. Given this, the city leader had rights over the life and death of his subjects. The appointment of the old mayor involved several attributions: military, politic, administrative, economic and judicial; the throne-armchair may be regarded as a symbol of absolute power on a local level. The workshop the armchair was crafted in is a Transylvanian one and the technique and artistic elements reference to the 16th century. The armchair is made of fir tree and oak wood and has its seat, back- and armrests covered in leather. The legs have traceries on the posterior and anterior parts. The arm- and backrest are slightly curved and ended in helixes. The backrest and the seat were upholstered in leather, its margins being decorated with a diagonally striped band and its centre with ovate shapes, the whole decoration having been realised by pressing and sewing. Both used to be decorated with textile fringe, element which has been lost. The brass hobnails and the grabbing elements are rectangular.

©Brasov County Museum of History