Burgomaster Chair
Antique Late 19th Century Indonesian Dutch Colonial Chairs
Cane, Hardwood, Teak
Antique Early 19th Century Sri Lankan Dutch Colonial Furniture
Hardwood, Rattan
Antique Late 18th Century Indian Dutch Colonial Furniture
Rattan, Teak
Antique Late 18th Century Indian Dutch Colonial Furniture
Rattan, Teak
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1930s Primitive Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Teak, Reclaimed Wood
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Wool, Teak
Antique Early 19th Century French Charles X Chairs
Walnut
Vintage 1970s American Modern Club Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Faux Bamboo
Antique 19th Century Japanese Meiji Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Antique 19th Century Asian Anglo-Indian Side Chairs
Leather, Cowhide, Padouk
20th Century Chinese Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Armchairs
Cane, Satinwood
Vintage 1920s Chinese Metalwork
Enamel
Antique 1870s French Japonisme Vases
Bronze
Vintage 1940s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Cane, Walnut
Antique 19th Century British Arts and Crafts Patio and Garden Furniture
Cane
Antique 19th Century Chinese Furniture
Wood, Elm
Antique 19th Century English Regency Sheffield and Silverplate
Sheffield Plate
Antique 19th Century British Indian Ocean Territory British Colonial Cab...
Wood
Recent Sales
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Indonesian Chairs
Cane
Vintage 1950s Indonesian British Colonial Armchairs
Finding the Right armchairs for You
Armchairs have run the gamut from prestige to ease and everything in between, and everyone has an antique or vintage armchair that they love.
Long before industrial mass production democratized seating, armchairs conveyed status and power.
In ancient Egypt, the commoners took stools, while in early Greece, ceremonial chairs of carved marble were designated for nobility. But the high-backed early thrones of yore, elevated and ornate, were merely grandiose iterations of today’s armchairs.
Modern-day armchairs, built with functionality and comfort in mind, are now central to tasks throughout your home. Formal dining armchairs support your guests at a table for a cheery feast, a good drafting chair with a deep seat is parked in front of an easel where you create art and, elsewhere, an ergonomic wonder of sorts positions you at the desk for your 9 to 5.
When placed under just the right lamp where you can lounge comfortably, both elbows resting on the padded supports on each side of you, an upholstered armchair — or a rattan armchair for your light-suffused sunroom — can be the sanctuary where you’ll read for hours.
If you’re in the mood for company, your velvet chesterfield armchair is a place to relax and be part of the conversation that swirls around you. Maybe the dialogue is about the beloved Papa Bear chair, a mid-century modern masterpiece from Danish carpenter and furniture maker Hans Wegner, and the wingback’s strong association with the concept of cozying up by the fireplace, which we can trace back to its origins in 1600s-era England, when the seat’s distinctive arm protrusions protected the sitter from the heat of the period’s large fireplaces.
If the fireside armchair chat involves spirited comparisons, your companions will likely probe the merits of antique and vintage armchairs such as Queen Anne armchairs, Victorian armchairs or even Louis XVI armchairs, as well as the pros and cons of restoration versus conservation.
Everyone seems to have a favorite armchair and most people will be all too willing to talk about their beloved design. Whether that’s the unique Favela chair by Brazilian sibling furniture designers Fernando and Humberto Campana, who repurposed everyday objects to provocative effect; or Marcel Breuer’s futuristic tubular metal Wassily lounge chair; the functionality-first LC series from Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret; or the Eames lounge chair of the mid-1950s created by Charles and Ray Eames, there is an iconic armchair for everyone and every purpose. Find yours on 1stDibs right now.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Fred Rigby’s Modular Seating Can Be Configured in So Many Handy Ways
The plush Cove Slipper 2.5 Seater sofa is just one of many convenient combinations from the London-based maker.
This Chubby-Chic Quilted Stool Stands on Its Own Two Feet
Sam Klemick's cool stool is edgy, cozy and environmentally sustainable all at once.
Riotous Shapes and Colors Have Made Uchronia’s Designs the Toast of Paris
Julien Sebban’s energetic design collective is radically reshaping the look of 21st-century European furniture and interiors.
Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.
Rock Your Cares Away on This Sunny Hand-Crocheted Swing
The boho-chic Enchanted Forest Swing, handmade by marginalized women from Turkey and Syria, is uplifting in every way.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.