Pair of Antique George I Style English Walnut Eagle Head Armchairs, circa 1890
Located in Houston, TX
The top of each leg is the wider point and the broad area is filled with a series of three dimensional patterns that echo what is seen at the top of the chairs. The stylized shells a...
Walnut
Sold|$6,736
Regency Slipper Chair of Spoon-Back Shape
By Thomas Hope
Located in Richmond, London
A related pair of 'Shell chairs richly inlaid with ebony in antique ornaments' were invoiced in 1806 by Messrs.
Wood
Irish 19th Century Pair of Architectural Hall Chairs with Shell Backs
By Gillows of Lancaster & London
Located in Richmond, London
Gillows of Lancaster supplied ‘4 handsome mahogany hall chairs the backs carved as a shell...’ to the Reverend H.
Mahogany
A Pair of English Regency Mahogany Hall Chairs
Located in New York, NY
A pair of English Regency mahogany hall chairs with carved shell backs and turned front legs
Mahogany
Sold|$4,695
Set of 8 Edwardian Walnut Dining Chairs
Located in Salisbury, Wiltshire
The armchairs with the desirable shepherd crook arms. The chairs are made in the Queen Anne-George I style with the shell carved cabriole legs.
Walnut
19th Century Set of Six French Farmhouse Dining Chairs
Located in Bournemouth, GB
A very handsome, good quality and comfortable 19th century set of six solid oak rush seated dining chairs with carved shell decoration to the top rail and floral carvings to the legs...
Rush, Oak
Caned Louis XV Style Bergere, France 19th Century
Located in San Antonio, TX
Wonderful 19th century caned bergere or armchair in the style of Louis XV, France, 19th century. Chair has shell and other carved detailing and cabriole legs.
Wood
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.
The design has changed over the years, but most antique carver chairs were made of wood. Antique carver chairs were wide chairs made in 17th century New England — with backs that featured several supporting spindles — although there were no spindles between the armrests and the seat. Antique carver chairs were typically topped with decorative ornaments.
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