Rimu hall chair c.1885 originally designed for use in the great houses of England, hall chairs in New Zealand colonial houses were typically no more than a decorative element adding an air of elegance to the entrance way, their small scale and stiff upright backs are explained by their original usage. Never intended for comfort they were placed outside the internal rooms of grand houses where servants or callers of lower social status would perch until summonsed into the room. This example is particularly interesting for its naively carved decoration. Ref: furniture of the New Zealand Colonial Era, page 389