In Valladolid, I spotted for the first time the eccentric chairs: “Confidentes” (confidant), “Tú y Yo” (you and me), “De los Enamorados” (for those in love) and in more technical terms “Sillas Binarias” (binary chairs). Later I noticed that they are widespread throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. They have become a distinctive cultural image of Yucatan.
The history of the origin of these chairs is drenched in various legends. According to one of them, the chairs were made by one overprotecting father. He did not want to let his daughter meet a young guy in the park, where the distance between lovers completely disappears when sitting on a bench, so protecting his daughter from unnecessary touches, he ordered chairs that allowed them to look at each other, but kept distance between them.
The others say that their form and design are inspired by the “butacas confidentes” (confidant armchairs) from the French Renaissance period. These armchairs were a type of mostly interior furniture designed for intimate conversation and among other names were called "chairs of rumors".
The history tells us that the chairs were installed in the main square- “ Plaza Grande”- of Mérida when it was remodeled in 1915 by the governor of Yucatán, General Salvador Alvarado.
Merida. While most of the binary chairs are white, we found red ones at a gallery, where they were also used for advertising.
The main square of Valladolid was just washed by rain and was still empty. Great moment for a photo - chairs are rarely empty ...
Having inspired furniture designers now for hundreds of years, the conversation chair has been adapted by nearly every style and generation.
The famous Spaniard Salvador Dali also designed his own tête-à-tête sofa in the 1930s. Dali’s work is adorned with the elements of a human hand: a man’s hand with a watch on one end and a woman’s hand with jewelry on the other.
