No one's ever sat on an original Greek klismos chair, because not one has actually survived. Its popularity peaked around 400 B.C., but it was resurrected in the 18th century, when all things classical were the fashion. From the moment we first spied it on ancient Greek pots, the elegant klismos has been reproduced, reinvented, refreshed, and retailed. It's the most popular chair we've never seen.

What actually makes a chair a klismos chair?

Basically, it's the concave top rail that's curved to embrace the shoulders of the sitter, and those four incurved saber legs. Some chairs have vertical or horizontal back splats and some have none. Because this element is seldom visible in the Greek original, we don't quite know what's "right." There are many variants with perfectly straight front legs, too, but they look clunky.

Thank you, House Beautiful