Pair of Professor's Leather Chairs With Nailheads
By Restoration Hardware
Located in Dallas, TX
Small in stature, grand in style, this pair of Professor's Chairs provides all the presence and comfort of its larger kin. A 1920s English wing chair by design, its petite proportion...
Leather, Wood
Sold
H 28.75 in W 27.25 in D 26 in
Restoration Hardware Professors Chair Aluminum & Leather Wingback Southwestern
By Restoration Hardware
Located in Dayton, OH
Small in stature, grand in style, the Professor's chair provides all the presence and comfort of its larger kin. A 1920s English wing chair by design, its petite proportions and enve...
Leather, Fabric
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.