There are few creatures as adorable yet as frightening as the hippopotamus. I mean, it’s one big lump of beast that you just want to hug, but will likely charge and run you over if you even try coming within a few feet. Fortunately, there’s zero risk of getting tackled and ran over with this equally adorable Hippopotamus Chair.
Created by Maximo Riera as part of his 2014 Animal Chair Collection, it’s a sculpted figure of a hippopotamus, with the side carved to accommodate seating for around two or three people (one, if you’re a hippo). Sporting the detailed likeness of a male adult of the semi-aquatic African mammal species, it’s a real sight to behold – one you’ll likely enjoy hugging and petting (hey, you’re weird, we don’t judge), as much as you’ll use it to rest your tired legs.
The Hippopotamus Chair captures the animal’s barrel-sized torso and gentle-looking face perfectly, making for arguably the cutest animal-themed sofa we’ve ever laid eyes on. It measures 4.6 x 9.7 feet (h x w), so it’s quite the massive piece of furniture, too. We’re pretty certain it doesn’t weigh three tons like a regular hippo, though, so maybe two people will be enough when moving it to another part of the house.
The best part? The back of the chair look like a regular hippo, so you can actually sit on the backrest and have someone photograph you from the rear, then claim you just rode a hippo to all your Facebook friends. Yes, we recommend adjusting the color temperature on Photoshop a bit, but it’s life-sized and detailed enough that even a ridiculous lie like that could work. Or not.
Available directly from Riera, the Hippopotamus Chair is priced at £70,000.