Circumcision chair

This type of double chair is a widespread piece of furniture among Ashkenazi Jews, (in Eastern Europe largely), used for the ceremony of circumcision. According to the Torah, there are two signs of the commandment between God and the Jewish people: the observance of the Shabbat and the circumcision of infant boys on the eighth day after their birth. The rituals of the circumcision ceremony developed on the one hand as a result of strict and careful rabbinic rulings, and on the other hand from superstitions and legends. Traditionally, the godfather (kvater or sandek) sits on the left, holding the infant in his lap, while the other seat is reserved for Eliyahu (the Prophet Elijah), who is thought to protect the infant and supervise the ceremony. The figure of Eliyahu is closely connected to the events of birth and circumcision in Jewish tradition. His presence wards off evil, malicious demons.