Wingback Chairs
2010s English Chippendale Wingback Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Scottish Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Straw, Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Brass
1860s English Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather
Early 2000s Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Wool
1960s American American Colonial Vintage Wingback Chairs
Mahogany, Upholstery
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather
2010s British Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
1970s Philippine Anglo-Indian Vintage Wingback Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan, Reed
1980s American Organic Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric
1960s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Bouclé, Birch
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
1910s English William and Mary Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Mohair, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Wingback Chairs
Brass
Late 20th Century Scottish Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Straw, Oak
Late 20th Century Wingback Chairs
Leather
19th Century French Antique Wingback Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Ultrasuede, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
Early 1900s English Kilim Antique Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Wingback Chairs
Wool
20th Century American Georgian Wingback Chairs
Brass
19th Century Swedish Louis XVI Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Wool, Beech
1980s Chippendale Vintage Wingback Chairs
Velvet, Cotton, Mahogany, Down
1970s American French Provincial Vintage Wingback Chairs
Brass
1890s American Queen Anne Antique Wingback Chairs
Burlap, Muslin, Wood
1760s German Baroque Antique Wingback Chairs
Walnut
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Sheepskin, Elm
1870s Irish Georgian Antique Wingback Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Chrome
19th Century British Georgian Antique Wingback Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Wingback Chairs
Fabric
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Teak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1990s American Queen Anne Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century Country Wingback Chairs
Mahogany, Fabric
20th Century English Chesterfield Wingback Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Wingback Chairs
Metal
20th Century Georgian Wingback Chairs
Linen, Upholstery, Cord, Wood
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric
1990s Chippendale Wingback Chairs
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Wingback Chairs
Metal
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Beech
19th Century British Aesthetic Movement Antique Wingback Chairs
Wood, Upholstery
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Wingback Chairs
Metal
Early 2000s American Modern Wingback Chairs
Silk, Lacquer
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Wingback Chairs
Metal
20th Century English Kilim Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Wingback Chairs
Metal
Early 1900s Arts and Crafts Antique Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Oak
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Sheepskin, Elm
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.