Walter Gerth for Strässle, Joke Chairs, 1986

An anthropomorphic ensemble by the German architect Walter Gerth. This brilliantly characterful set of painted plywood and steel chairs was commissioned by the Swiss design company Strässle in 1986. Each of the seats boasts a solid rectangular back panel, providing enough support for the red, slender front legs to adopt distinctly human poses. Some sit cross-legged, others with a top leg resting on a lower knee; some keep their legs firmly pressed together, while a more casual iteration sits legs akimbo — as mixed a bunch as passengers on a train.