Who's been sitting in my chairs?

By Martin Johnston

Find two matching chairs to seat the world's two most powerful men was the urgent last-minute request from Government House to antique dealer Richard Matthews.

The chairs, which had to be "substantial" and "not too low," were needed for Saturday's summit between United States President Bill Clinton and President Jiang Zemin of China.

The owner of Richard Matthews Antiques in Remuera obliged with the loan of two 19th century French walnut armchairs from his own city drawing-room.

The staff from Government House in Auckland who called him on Friday did not explain why the chairs had to be the same, but as Mr Matthews surmised, "You wouldn't put one on a throne and one on a stool."

Hugo Judd, official secretary to Governor-General Sir Michael Hardie Boys, said US and Chinese officials had agreed on the importance of identical chairs that were both "substantial" and "not too low," and Government House had nothing suitable.

"You can read all sorts of things into it, but I think it just looks better if they are the same."