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Medieval Side Chairs

MEDIEVAL STYLE

The Middle Ages in Europe followed the end of the Roman Empire, and in this time of change, which preceded the Renaissance, furniture was simple and utilitarian, with most homes having only the necessities like chests and benches. Much of medieval furniture, which was often made in oak or walnut, was built for the elite, particularly the emerging merchant class who owned multiple homes.

Life for many in the medieval era was unstable, and furniture was designed to be functional and portable. Peasants worked the fields for affluent landowners and didn’t have access to literature in the way that nobles and people of the church did (women less so than men). The furniture in their modest dwellings was typically limited to cookware and a handful of stools. Foldable chairs, while uncommon in homes of the early Middle Ages and emblematic of wealth, like all other furnishings of the time, allowed for easy transportation of a household. Trestle tables with detachable legs and collapsible beds were designed to be simply moved from place to place.

Medieval blanket chests were among the most important furniture objects and could further serve as tables or even beds. Some ancient traditions were carried forward to build this sturdy furniture, such as turnery. Although the furniture was minimally designed, embellishments like carvings added elegance to the heavy wood pieces. These details sometimes reflected trends in religious art like rose windows.

By the later Middle Ages, storage pieces like chests of drawers were often adorned with high relief carvings, such as geometric and floral motifs. By the 14th and 15th centuries, design had developed to include more involved pieces like cupboards and desks, while benches frequently doubled as chests with hinged seats. Beds also changed in this era from basic boards to four-post designs with large drapes to keep the sleeper warm. These beds and other medieval bedroom furniture were significant status symbols, passed down through families and used as places to conduct business and receive visitors.

Surviving examples of medieval furniture are very rare, yet its distinctive aesthetics influenced later styles like William and Mary and Arts and Crafts.

Find a collection of medieval seating, garden elements, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Medieval
PAIR OF ANTIQUE GOTHIC A.W.N PUGIN SIDE CHAIRS CHIPPENDALE CLUSTER COLUMN LEGs
Located in GB
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this exquisite, highly collectable pair of Gothic Revival A.W.N Pugin side chairs with ornately carved frame...
Category

Early 1800s English Antique Medieval Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Hardwood

Oak Victorian or Gothic Revival Ecclesiastical His & Hers Throne Chairs a Pair
Located in Topeka, KS
Incredible Late19th Century to Early 20th Century Victorian or Gothic Revival Ecclesiastical His & Hers Throne Chairs comprised of oak frames with black and gold details, red hopsack...
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Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Medieval Side Chairs

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Fabric, Oak, Paint

Gothic Revival English Solid Oak Singular Hand Carved Occasional Chair
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
Solid Oak hand carved English Gothic Revival chair in excellent original condition. Sturdy and well proportioned. Skilfully carved with dowel and peg work joi...
Category

Mid-19th Century English Antique Medieval Side Chairs

Materials

Oak

Vintage Gothic Hand Carved Side Chairs - a Pair
Located in west palm beach, FL
A fantastic pair of vintage Boho side chairs. Hand carved cherubs with beautiful gold leaf detail. Frosted blue velvet seats with a contrasting metallic back. Acquired from a Palm Be...
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Late 20th Century North American Medieval Side Chairs

Materials

Metal, Gold Leaf

Antique Pair of Gothic Pitch Pine Throne Side Hall Bedroom Chairs
Located in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Antique quality pair of Gothic pitch pine throne, side, hall, or bedroom chairs C1900. Solid and heavy, with no loose joints and no woodworm. Overall maximum dimensions: 59c...
Category

Early 1900s Antique Medieval Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Gothic Oak Side Chair
Located in New York City, NY
Oak antique Gothic side chair with dark finish. Unusual raised design on back rest - elegant turned legs.
Category

19th Century English Antique Medieval Side Chairs

18th Century Italian Gothic Renaissance Square Chair Walnut Side Armchair
Located in Vigonza, Padua
18th century Italian Gothic Renaissance square chair in turned and hand-carved walnut. Polished to wax Measures cm: H77/40, W 52, D 46.
Category

Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Medieval Side Chairs

Materials

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Set of Four Ebonized Gothic Side Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Set of four ebonized Gothic side chairs. Label from Irving & Casson - A.H. Davenport, Co., Boston and New York.
Category

19th Century American Antique Medieval Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

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Original Hand Carved and Blackened Reclaimed Oak Sculptural Accent or Side Chair
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This hand-carved and blackened reclaimed oak chair, designed by Rooms Studio (from their 2018 Wild Minimalism collection), is inspired by the legacy of traditional Georgian craftsmanship. The Sculptural Chair is meticulously handcrafted of ancient wood, and features a diamond shape cut-out on the top rail, which is curved gently, cradling the back, with a round seat and circular cross stretcher. About the Design Studio: Works of Rooms Studio refers to the sculptural forms and abundant materials in juxtaposition with the feminine instincts. Born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia, the duo behind the Rooms, Nata Janberidze and Keti Toloraia, lean towards preserving the inherited craftsmanship techniques unique to the region. Massive wood and stone objects are hand-crafted using traditional techniques to create raw and symbolic forms often rooted in the designers' childhood memories. Growing up in a culturally diverse environment, where the two worlds - Western and Eastern collide, remarkably influenced their design language. Over the years, Rooms has created eight independent collections and collaborations equally memorable and representative of the duo's perpetual mission to bring life to omitted elements of a former life. Through their series of works, Janberidze and Toloraia try to examine the boundaries between the public and private. Experiencing adolescent years in the 90s - a significant decade of cultural and societal shifts - their work is a narrative of personal experiences of womanhood. By contrasting the new feminine monumental shapes with architectural brutality, Rooms challenges the status quo and also bridges the conventional and contemporary design with a confluence of female energy. The work of Rooms Studio has concerned itself with questions of nomenclature since the Tbilisi-based design atelier was co-founded by Nata Janberidze and Keti Toloraia in 2007. Take, for instance, the studio’s name: in adopting the basic unit of interior space as the title of their practice, Janberidze and Toloraia also emphasized the emotional force of interiority and inner life in determining their creative output. The studio’s largest U.S. exhibition to date, "Distant Symphony," expands upon this impulse to focus inward. The title is again a chief concern—some of the objects included here were designed during the global pandemic, under a regime of forced isolation that made the studio’s typically collective work process untenable. The pieces shown here are the results of Rooms’ search for a way forward. The first room, an antechamber of sorts, evokes the intimate quality of a private home. Shown here are trinkets and personal effects chosen by Janberidze and Toloraia for their emotive qualities; a low background noise emphasizes the climate of urban domesticity. The ensuing gallery space features highlights of Rooms’ recent design output. Here, the subtle scent of organic materials provides a sensory indication of the atelier’s interest in dichotomies: natural and man-made, personal and collective, local and cosmopolitan.   In light of the global circumstances, Janberidze and Toloraia felt it was especially important to pursue collaborative work. Rooms invited three artists—Shotiko Aptsiauri, Salome Chigalashvili and Mariana Chkonia—to conduct a dialogue and shared design process. As such, this exhibition is a kind of polyphonic meditation on a need for solitude and desire for companionship. The practice of polyphonic singing, essential to Georgian folk culture, is reinterpreted here as a design endeavor. Chigilashvili, working with unprocessed yarn, interpreted folk motifs by adapting embroidery to the scale of furniture with expansive stitches applied to painted boards...
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Medieval side chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Medieval side chairs for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage side chairs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Medieval side chairs made in a specific country, there are Europe, England, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for side chairs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $717 and tops out at $18,000 while the average work can sell for $2,575.

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