Featured Strange Antique Carved Alien Chair Throne ???

This is an odd one! Old hand carved wood chair that looks like some type of alien? Great craftsmanship, Scary looking lion and faces. Looks to be fairly old. Any clues on the origin and date of this thing?. My wife says it creeps her out!

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Antiques/c...know_anything_about_this_victorian/?rdt=53224

Replies on reddit:
"It's called a Savonarola chair and is supposed to recall the Italian Renaissance. Turn of the century."
"Machine made. Some were Mahogany most were red birch dyed with anoline. Very common Roman saddle chair with West wind or Greenman machine carved back. Age about 1900-1915."
"That's St Mark's winged Lion there - 'Pax tibi Marce evangelista meus'."

 

The letters translate to 'Peace unto you, Mark, my Evangelist' .That should reassure her its a "nice" chair .

 

I DID think what looks like a 'winged Lion reading a book' seemed a bit odd!!!!!
But happy you got some help on it!!!​

 

Even if it is creepy-looking. I think it's the paw feet that complete the picture.

 

If you're nuts about cats-that chair practically purrs !

 

The cats I've had would cross the room to avoid it.

 

My cats would be sharpening their claws on it unless there was something more valuable to destroy.

 

It is a Savonarola chair, as Marote quoted, and a very nicely carved one. Saconarola is the term for this shape chair.
The symbols are references to Venice.
At the top the "Corno Ducale", the Doge's cap, symbol of the rulers of the Republic of Venice.
The lion of St. Mark is the symbol of Venice. St. Mark is the patron saint and his bones are kept in San Marco cathedral, next to the Doge's Palace.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge_of_Venice

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Venice

The coat of arms is probably of one of the Doges.
This is not a Doge's throne, but a reference to the Doges. As the link shows, several were made. They could have been made in Venice, but until we have proof of that, we don't know.
I have yet to see aliens on your chair though.

The Corno Ducale, worn by the Doges of the Republic of Venice:

 

Dewi would happily take ownership of it.

 

With or without a cushion? Put it in the sunlight and a cat would land in it pronto.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommaso_Mocenigo

 

Dewi is not a cushion cat, she prefers to sit on a stack of books. A wooden floor or a tall loudspeaker are also fine. Or on my bed of course. She also likes her cat trees.
I bought her a fancy fluffy cushion, but she kept pushing it away. So I gave it to those cats that were rescued after having survived a fire. They love it, and deserve some creature comfort.

 

Dewi is an UP cat. She likes UP. Smooshy cushions on the floor do not appeal. I think my last cat, Genie, had been stepped on or kicked in the past. She did not like feet and preferred to sleep on the back of a couch or chair. Comfy and out of range.

 

Generally all our cats have been 'Up' cats.One,our most athletic -'Selket' an Abyssinian-slept as high as was physically possible.She'd leap from the top of the fridge up to the vaulted ceiling beam.

 

I had one who liked the top of the refrigerator too, but the house ceilings are relatively low. She was also the one who preferred drinking out of a glass to drinking out of a water dish.

 

It looks like an alien to me. A head with a hat, two big round eyes, a small nose, a slanted mouth, 2 shoulders, two long arms?

 

Absolutely. I am thinking of having shelves put up high on the wall for her, a so-called cat highway.

My Norwegian was also an Up cat, but he was forced to spend the first year of his life on top of a wardrobe in a small room with 20 cats.
He could jump to the top of the fridge in one go. Effortlessly, like he catapulted himself.

Bindy, my Siamese tabby did that too.

 

My cat is an am-I-not-allowed-to-sit-on-it-then-I-will-sit-on-it cat and a did-you-buy-that-for-me-to-sit-on-then-I-will-refuse-to-sit-on-it cat

 

They are ALL that cat!