But the item of furniture none of us can do without has been given star billing by artists Keith and Debbie Osborn at their Hillside Gallery and Studio on the outskirts of Fakenham.

The idea evolved when Mr Osborn had a selection of his photos of chairs accepted at an open exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol.

The couple, who moved to the Fakenham area four years ago from London, set themselves the task of highlighting the chair and its variety of designs down the ages.

Mrs Osborn is accustomed to working with all sorts of materials and has even sourced one of the chairs in the exhibition from an antiques shop in Fakenham. Work of other artists is also included in the show, which opened on Saturday, August 23, and runs until Wednesday, September 10.

The gallery at Hillside Lodge, Toftrees, is open daily from 11am to 6pm.

Admission is free.