Searching for Greekness: the Development of Greek Furniture Design in the Late Nineteenth Century Historical Context
Searching for Greekness: the Development of Greek Furniture Design in the Late Nineteenth Century Historical Context

Summary/Abstract: The decisive historical events of the early Macedonian Struggle, the political and military mobilization in Crete, and the country’s defeat during the Greek-Turkish war in 1897 gave rise to strong scepticism towards the management of national issues by the Greek State, sharp ideological differentiation towards Europeans, and an even stronger need for the search for Greek identity in various forms of creative expression, as it had already begun to be observed in architecture a few decades ago. This shift towards Greekness, in terms of the design of new buildings and objects, was in direct connection with the redefinition of the concept of national consciousness by restoring the historical collective memory and obviously with the reconstruction of the Greek State. Thus, it aimed at the design of objects, such as furniture, which combined with Neoclassical urban architecture, constituted a new branch of design and production that had to reflect the history, ideals, and expectations of modern Greeks. Within this historical framework, in an attempt to redefine the concept, but also to assess the value of Greekness in the design of furniture, valuable periods of the Greek history, such as classicism, folk tradition and the Byzantine era were re-examined, re-evaluated and taken into serious consideration so as to contribute to the new Greek furniture design.

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