When a former aristocrat who is now a Russian clerk under the new Soviet regime learns that his dying mother-in-law sewed a fortune of family jewels into one of twelve dining room chairs, he sets off across Russia to find it--with an opportunist, a priest and his former servant all in pursuit.

The practicality of the chair is often superseded by its desirability as an emblem of style, status, craft and even art. Examines more than 100 chairs, and their iconic status, designers, historical facts, overall style, design details and ergonomic properties.