Wingback Chairs
1940s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1980s English Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Velvet, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Wingback Chairs
Leather, Sheepskin
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Birch
2010s Italian Neoclassical Revival Wingback Chairs
Copper, Steel
19th Century European Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Scandinavian Modern Wingback Chairs
Mohair, Silk, Oak
2010s Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1790s French Antique Wingback Chairs
Iron
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Oak, Upholstery
Early 20th Century French Wingback Chairs
Leather, Linen, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
Early 20th Century Austrian Wingback Chairs
Leather, Wood
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.