Antique Early 19c George III Petite Wingback Chair
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique Early 19c George III Petite Wingback Chair. It has been freshly upholstered in an unexpected denim velvet with white piping.
Mahogany
19 th c.English Leather Wing Chair
Located in Atlanta, GA
19 th c.English leather wing chair with brass tacks and beautiful profile.
Leather
Pair of 19c. French Wing Back Chairs on Bobbin Turned Legs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Unusual pair of wing back chairs, upholstered in toile fabric, raised on sausage turned legs with H-stretchers.
They may not offer structural support, but the wings on antique and vintage wingback chairs certainly do have a purpose or did, when the design was first conceived in England in the 1600s.
Back then, the armchair protrusions were meant to protect the sitter from drafts and from the strong heat radiating from the large fireplaces that were popular at the time. This explains why the wingback is so strongly associated with cozying up by the fireplace.
Although the functional aspect of a wingback may be obsolete in the 21st century, the chairs have maintained their popularity over the years and have seen waves of revivals, from mid-century modern spinoffs to playful contemporary adaptations (like the Bear chair by Pierre Yovanovitch, wherein the place of wings are furry ears — a cheeky send-up of Hans Wegner’s iconic mid-century Papa Bear chair).
Shop the most innovative versions of wingback chairs today on 1stDibs.
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