Torture Device: The Iron Chair

The Iron Chair was a device used extensively during the Middle Ages. It’s primary strength lied in the psychological fear it caused its victims. It was common practice to coerce a confession by forcing a victim to watch someone else be tortured with the chair.

The chair was lined with hundreds of sharp spikes, which would cover the back, seat, arm rests, leg rests and foot rests. The number of spikes in a chair would range from 500 – 1,500. Some versions of the chair even had spikes on the headrest, and the torturer would push the victim’s head against it.

A victim would be seated on the chair, their wrists restrained, either by straps or two bars that would push the arms against the arm rests. Some versions of the chair contained holes in the seat, and the torturer would light a fire beneath it, and the victim would be slowly roasted alive.

In all cases, the torturer would progressively tighten the restraints, forcing the spikes deep into the flesh of the victim. Sometimes weights would be placed on the victim’s thighs or feet. Torture could go on for hours, sometimes days. The good news was, spikes did not penetrate vital organs and blood loss was minimal – at least while they were seated as the spikes would hold the wounds shut. Once they were released, death often followed.

The Iron Chair was used until the late 1800’s in Europe, and other parts of the world. It is known by several names:
Chinese Torture Chair
Torture Chair
Iron Chair
Judas Chair
Chair of Torture

Check out these other medieval torture devices.