Ethan Allen Wingback Chairs
Recent Sales
Vintage 1980s Chippendale Wingback Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century North American Georgian Wingback Chairs
Mahogany, Leather
Vintage 1980s Queen Anne Wingback Chairs
Cotton
20th Century American Wingback Chairs
Late 20th Century Armchairs
Leather, Hardwood
Finding the Right wingback-chairs for You
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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