Wingback Chairs
1950s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Teak
1950s Danish Country Vintage Wingback Chairs
Wool, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Wingback Chairs
Mahogany
2010s Modern Wingback Chairs
Walnut
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
2010s Italian Modern Wingback Chairs
Fabric
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Beech, Upholstery
1940s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1960s Danish Hollywood Regency Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century English Queen Anne Antique Wingback Chairs
Brass
1840s English Early Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
Early 20th Century British Wingback Chairs
Leather
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Velvet, Elm
2010s Italian Neoclassical Revival Wingback Chairs
Copper, Steel
Mid-20th Century French Jacobean Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century American George III Wingback Chairs
Brass
2010s Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Metal
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut
2010s American Modern Wingback Chairs
Linen, Maple
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Walnut
1990s French Provincial Wingback Chairs
Cotton, Velvet
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Wingback Chairs
Wood, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 1900s Italian Antique Wingback Chairs
Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather, Teak
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Wingback Chairs
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Georgian Wingback Chairs
Leather
18th Century French Louis XIII Antique Wingback Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s European Vintage Wingback Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century Spanish Wingback Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1970s Austrian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather
Late 19th Century English Antique Wingback Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Rattan
2010s British Wingback Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s French Organic Modern Wingback Chairs
Leather
Early 1900s European Other Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1930s French Louis XV Vintage Wingback Chairs
Linen, Walnut
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Bouclé, Walnut
1840s German Biedermeier Antique Wingback Chairs
Yew
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Georgian Wingback Chairs
Leather
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Velvet, Walnut
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Wingback Chairs
Leather, Teak
19th Century English Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
Late 20th Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Leather, Upholstery
Antique, New and Vintage Wingback Chairs
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.
Read More
Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Chair Scrambled the Idea of What a Wingback Could Be
The curvaceous Egg was designed to cradle the body and offer privacy. Later, it became the seat of choice for bosses in movies, too.
23 Ways to Rethink the Classic Wingback Chair
We take a fresh look at a more than 300-year-old fixture in furniture design.