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Traditional Mallorcan object

Balancí and tibulet (rocking chair)

At a glance

- Rocker: rocking chair. Chair with two wooden arches under the legs that make it balance (DCVB, with the Mallorca brand among other areas).

Objects and tools
Traditional Mallorcan object
Words
arc, balancí, escambell, tamboret, tibulet
rocking chair
rocking chair — Museum of Popular Arts and Customs of Seville, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/, Museum of Popular Arts and Customs of Seville (vía Europeana/CER.ES)

What is

  • Rocker: rocking chair. Chair with two wooden arches under the legs that make it balance (DCVB, with the Mallorca brand among other areas).
  • Tibulet: stool, seat without backrest. Word of Manacor and Sant Llorenç des Cardassar (DCVB). In other areas, drumet or escambell.

How is

  • Rocker: chair frame with arms; two arcs (curved skates) join the front and hind legs on each side. Bova, palm or mesh seat.
  • Tibulet: four legs, crossbars and cordat (bova or palm) or board seat.
  • 18th century Mallorcan walnut escambells: balustraded legs, H-shaped crossbar, 77.5 × 43 × 51 cm (Christie's).

How is fa

  • Fuster or cadirer; legs turned by the turner; seat of the cordador de cadires.
  • The rocker arches are cut from curved board and assembled using a mortise and tenon.

Com s'usa

  • Rocker: at the entrance, the porch or the front door, for coolness and for sleeping the child.
  • Tibulet: to work sitting low, in the kitchen or workshop; for the children.

Vocabulary

  • balancí: rocking chair.
  • arc: curved rocker arm.
  • tibulet: stool (Manacor, Sant Llorenç).
  • tamboret: stool (general form).
  • escambell: small seat without arms or backrest.

History

  • 18th century: Majorcan walnut escambells for rooms with painted panels (Christie's).
  • 19th-20th century: the rocker becomes widespread in village houses (please check the date in Mallorca).
  • Galmés, Flor de card: tibulet citation in the DCVB (without year).

On veure'n

Why is it design

  • Movement with two curves: the arch converts a chair into a crib for adults.
  • County word: tibulet marks the Levante; vocabulary draws the map.

For the project

Frequently asked questions

What is Balancí and tibulet (rocking chair)?

- Rocker: rocking chair. Chair with two wooden arches under the legs that make it balance (DCVB, with the Mallorca brand among other areas).

What are the traditional words for Balancí and tibulet (rocking chair)?

Some words: arc, balancí, escambell, tamboret, tibulet.

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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