Nannai Chair by Chiara Andreatti & Pierpaolo Mandis

In every rural Sardinian home there are a few wooden, caned chairs that sit in a corner. They are pulled out when visitors come over, when the fire is lit, when it is time to sit in a circle and shell fava beans or crack open almonds. They come in various sizes, with older Sardinians preferring the smallest, child-sized chairs to perch on. Chiara Andreatti was inspired by the social aspect behind their use, and by the variations of design and decoration that can be found on historic versions. Her scannu are enlarged versions - by maintaining the classic proportions while making them bigger overall, she has made them both important and comfortable. The decorations are directly inspired by her various experiences on the island, from visits to local weavers to a handmade pasta (lorighittas) to the shapes of ancient talismans. She worked with craftsmen Su Maistu de Linna on the creation of a series of three scannu. Pierpaolo is a third generation woodworker and chair maker from the hillside town of Mogoro who works alongside his brother-in-law. His father still goes every June to pick river reeds that will dry in the loft of their workshop before being soaked and hand twisted to become the intricate weaving on Chiara’s chairs.