Jiaoyi 交椅 [armchair] is a type of nice wooden chair in traditional Chinese society. The feet of the chair are crossed, hence the name jiao 交 [crossing]. Because it is often seen in gentry houses, later it also came to resemble high status, with the modern term diyi ba jiaoyi 第一把交椅 being a byword for the chief of a group.
Image of a typical jiaoyi.
