With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the tufted wingback chair you’re looking for. Frequently made of
animal skin,
leather and
wood, every tufted wingback chair was constructed with great care. There are 123 variations of the antique or vintage tufted wingback chair you’re looking for, while we also have 1 modern editions of this piece to choose from as well. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect tufted wingback chair — we have versions that date back to the 19th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century are available. A tufted wingback chair made by
Georgian designers — as well as those associated with
Mid-Century Modern — is very popular. You’ll likely find more than one tufted wingback chair that is appealing in its simplicity, but
Beacon Hill,
Century Furniture and
Chesterfield produced versions that are worth a look.
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.