A watchman's chair is a design of unupholstered

Upholstery

Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. The term is equally applicable to domestic,...

 wood construction featuring a forward slanted seat, such that the watchman

Security guard

A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...

 could not readily fall asleep without sliding downward and off the front of the chair. The design was developed in Western Europe, and was used from late medieval times well into the 19th century. Currently this antique furniture

Antique furniture

Antique furniture is the term for collectible interior furnishings of considerable age. Often its age, rarity, condition, utility, or other unique features makes a piece of furniture desirable as a collectors' item, and thus termed an "antique"....

 item is found primarily in the possession of collectors and museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

s.

In literature

There are a number of references to the watchman's chair in literature such as the allusion to its use in Collins's Jezebel. Sir Toby was described to be sitting in a canopied watchman's chair in one of Shakespeare's plays.

Alternative use of the term

This article is not about the "watchman's chair" deriving from the Congo, which has a traditional Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

n design.