Wingback Chairs
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Bamboo, Upholstery
1720s Great Britain (UK) George I Antique Wingback Chairs
Silk, Walnut
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Velvet, Teak
1790s French Antique Wingback Chairs
Iron
Late 18th Century Irish George III Antique Wingback Chairs
Mahogany
Early 18th Century English George I Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1770s Irish Antique Wingback Chairs
Mahogany
1960s Danish Vintage Wingback Chairs
17th Century Swedish Baroque Antique Wingback Chairs
Leather, Oak
1790s Irish Antique Wingback Chairs
Mahogany, Upholstery
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Hardwood
18th Century English Baroque Antique Wingback Chairs
Oak, Walnut
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Oak, Upholstery
1760s English George II Antique Wingback Chairs
Muslin, Walnut
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Metal, Brass
Height 49 in.
18th Century and Earlier Antique Wingback Chairs
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-18th Century English George II Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Rococo Antique Wingback Chairs
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1960s Danish Vintage 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.