A papasan chair (also called a bowl chair or moon chair) is a type of bowl-shaped chair.

Design

A papasan chair is a large rounded bowl-shaped

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

with an adjustable angle. The bowl rests in an upright frame traditionally made of

rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed-canopy old-growth tropical forests of ...

, but also sometimes made of sturdy

wicker Wicker is the oldest furniture making method known to history, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago. It was first documented in ancient Egypt using pliable plant material, but in modern times it is made from any pliable, easily woven material. ...

or wood. The base frame often has rings of two different diameters, with the larger intended to be upright, to better support the bowl, and the smaller ring intended to be placed on the floor. This orientation is often mistakenly reversed, resulting in less stability for the upper chair. The cushion of the chair is typically thick velveteen material filled with cotton fluff similar to that of a futon. In traditional papasans, the cushion can be removed and used outside of the sturdy frame. Papasan chairs are typically 35–60 inches wide and 35 inches deep.

History

The papasan chair gained popularity in the west when American

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

veterans brought them home from

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

, where they had been used in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

for centuries.

Types

The mamasan chair is a double-seating version, and was introduced to the western world in the 1950s. Prior to that, it was in use in far eastern Asia, particularly in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, and Japan. It can also be called a double papasan chair, which term is widely used.

Design

History

Types

References

Further reading