Wingback Chairs
1830s British Georgian Antique Wingback Chairs
Velvet, Mahogany
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Velvet, Walnut
19th Century English Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Oak
1840s German Biedermeier Antique Wingback Chairs
Yew
Mid-19th Century American Antique Wingback Chairs
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Wingback Chairs
Beech
Late 19th Century French Antique Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Walnut
19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Mahogany, Leather
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Linen, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century German Baroque Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut
1840s English Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century French Louis XIV Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Metal
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Brass
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Metal
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Wingback Chairs
Wool, Mahogany
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Plastic, Foam, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Brass
19th Century English High Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Brass
1950s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Wood, Leather
1950s Finnish Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Beech, Plywood
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Wingback Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut, Mohair, Silk, Velvet
Late 19th Century British Queen Anne Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut
19th Century English William and Mary Antique Wingback Chairs
Silk, Mahogany
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Steel
1880s French Rococo Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Wingback Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Mohair, Wood
19th Century Antique Wingback Chairs
Wood
Early 19th Century Irish George III Antique Wingback Chairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Irish George III Antique Wingback Chairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s Italian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1840s American Chippendale Antique Wingback Chairs
Muslin, Mahogany, Poplar, Cypress
Mid-19th Century English Antique Wingback Chairs
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Wingback Chairs
Wood
19th Century French Empire Antique Wingback Chairs
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Renaissance Revival Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Wingback Chairs
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Satin, Wood
1950s French Louis XV Vintage Wingback Chairs
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
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.