View this artist's chair at:
The Art Institute of Portland
1122 NW Davis St
Portland, OR

Marzipan to Chair-Ish

Food history is Susan Stone’s passion, and the marzipan (almond paste) chair is a modern nod to centuries-old traditions. Marzipan recipes first appeared in the 14th Century. Several recipes for fantastic Tudor-style marzipan “conceits,” some covered with gold leaf, were included in the hand-written family cookbook owned by Martha Washington. The marzipan chair is also a play on the fanciful sugar centerpieces that graced the banquet tables of 16th and 17th Century European nobility—centerpieces that were replaced with similar figures in porcelain in the 18th Century.

When Susan is not experimenting with strange dishes from the past or plying her friends and family with archaic sweets, she is Principal of the Stone-Sheridan Group, specializing in environmental public relations and conflict resolution.