Wingback Chairs
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Georgian Wingback Chairs
Leather
2010s Argentine Modern Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s British Scandinavian Modern Wingback Chairs
Bouclé, Beech
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary North American Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Georgian Wingback Chairs
Leather
2010s American Modern Wingback Chairs
Leather, Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century American Wingback Chairs
Leather
1980s Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Faux Bamboo, Rattan, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary William IV Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
19th Century French Empire Antique Wingback Chairs
Brass
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Walnut, Velvet, Beech
2010s European Modern Wingback Chairs
Wood, Velvet
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.