Considered a sumptuary object, Equipale Mexican Furniture is traditional furniture that comes from the Aztec word impala which means seat. Hernan Cortez appointed equipales as seats of honor to dignitaries of the time, as it represented social status. It can be made of leather from pig or cow, and willow, cedar wood or ixtele, a derivative of the cactus. Whatever the combination, they are woven together with natural fibers. Throughout all of Mexico, equipale is considered an important part of Mexican culture.
A little less than an hour away from Guadalajara, is the village of Zacoalco where over three hundred families earn their livelihood from producing these rustic cane and leather chairs. Mexican Equipale are still made in the traditional manner and they can be tanned so that they are made water proof and do not degrade in the heat.
The Equipale is a Mexican chair or table made of wood, leather, maguey fiber and cane. It combines these into a unique, comfortable seat. In the United States, equipales are typically found in Mexican restaurants and are popular in homes of the Southwest. The chair’s method of construction, combining the compressive strength of wood, the tensile strength of fibers and the soft comfort of leather, utilizes the best qualities of each material.
The word “equipale” is from Nautl, the Aztec language, and the chair is occasionally called “Montezuma’s Chair” to try and establish its’ antiquity. Although ancient in origin, Equipale Mexican Furniture has become popular recently. In the 1920’s and 1930’s it started to become fashionable in the Pacific seacoast resorts as American tourists requested them. From this followed an export market that continues to thrive.
Equipale furniture includes pigskin chairs, tables, bar chairs, bar tables, end tables, coffee tables, peacock chairs, child barrel chairs, square foot stools, rectangular tables, sofas and so much more. Please feel free to contact me whenever you need or want and I would be more than happy to help.
