What is an equipal chair?
If you have eaten on a patio in Guadalajara, you have probably sat in one. Here is what makes the equipal one of the oldest furniture designs in the Americas.
A design older than Mexico
The equipal comes from pre-Hispanic western Mexico. Early versions appear in the codices, and the basic idea has not changed much since: a drum-shaped base and a curved back, light enough to move and strong enough to last generations.
How equipales are made
Today most equipales come from Jalisco, especially the town of Zacoalco de Torres near Guadalajara. Artisans build the base from thin strips of cedar laid in a crisscross pattern and tied with ixtle or other natural fiber. The seat and back are covered with tanned pigskin or leather, stretched tight while wet so it shrinks into place as it dries. Traditionally, no nails or screws are used.
Why they feel so good
The leather gives a little as you sit, and the open base lets air move through. That is why equipales are comfortable even in the heat, and why they show up in so many restaurants and patios across Mexico.
Caring for an equipal in Texas
- Keep it on a covered patio or indoors, out of standing water and constant rain.
- Wipe the leather with a damp cloth and let it dry in the shade.
- A leather conditioner once or twice a year keeps the skin supple.
- Lift it rather than dragging it, so the base stays tight.
See our equipal chairs, tables and sets or visit the store at 10416 N FM 620, Austin, TX 78726.
Come walk the yard.
Most of what we carry never makes it online. The best way to find your piece is to wander the store on FM 620.
