Other statement of the curule chair, already illustrated in the preceding tables 

This rendering of a curule chair was made by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, probably in the mid-18th century. It is an etching, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. Note the linear quality and the precision of the lines. This process is well-suited to the depiction of architecture, and indeed, Piranesi was famous for his dramatic, often imaginary, depictions of Roman ruins. But he was also interested in furniture, and in the ways that classical motifs could be reinterpreted for a contemporary audience. In this etching, we see an imagined chair of state. The design is heavy and imposing, laden with ornament. Each element - the volutes, the carved foliage, the sphinx-like figures on the seat, would have to be hand carved from wood or stone. This is not industrial production; it is a vision of luxury laboriously achieved, aimed at an aristocratic clientele. Piranesi sought to elevate design through the craft.