THEY have come as settees, divans, thrones...

THEY have come as settees, divans, thrones and rockers. Regardless of form or function, chairs have long represented design inspiration from around the globe. Two recent books explore innovations, past and present. “Chairs: A History” by Florence de Dampierre provides a detailed look at examples dating to ancient Egyptians. “New Chairs” by Mel Byars focuses on contemporary -- and often avant-garde -- experiments in materials, technology and form. Here are some examples.