Chinoiserie Chairs Federal
Antique Mid-19th Century American Wingback Chairs
Brass
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Antique Late 18th Century American Armchairs
Antique 19th Century British Early Victorian Wingback Chairs
Cotton, Silk, Mahogany
Antique Late 19th Century English Georgian Armchairs
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20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Irish George III Wingback Chairs
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Vintage 1930s American Queen Anne Wingback Chairs
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Antique 19th Century British George III Armchairs
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Antique 1790s Irish Wingback Chairs
Mahogany, Upholstery
Antique 1730s European Queen Anne Wingback Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Antique 1840s American Chippendale Wingback Chairs
Muslin, Mahogany, Poplar, Cypress
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Wool, Teak
Antique Mid-19th Century Chairs
Giltwood
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Late 20th Century Federal Armchairs
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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.
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