The skinnier Renaissance chair designed for women to sit on with big dresses is known as which chair?

• A. Panchetto
• B. Sgabello Chair
• C. Cassone
• D. Letto

Answer: (B)

In Renaissance furniture, some designs were made specifically to work with how people dressed and moved. The skinnier chair described is built to accommodate a woman’s large, voluminous gown by being slim and unobtrusive. The sgabello is exactly that kind of piece: a lightweight, narrow chair often with a simple or tall back and no heavy arms, so a full dress can drape and sit comfortably without snagging or crowding the sitter. This practical form gained its Italian name from being a basic, easily movable seat, ideal in households and courts where style and function went hand in hand. The other items listed serve different purposes—panchetto as a small bench or stool, cassone as a chest, and letto as a bed—so they don’t fit the described use.