Wingback Chairs
2010s Italian Modern Wingback Chairs
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Wingback Chairs
Velvet
20th Century English Art Deco Wingback Chairs
Velvet, Beech
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Wool, Walnut
1950s English Vintage Wingback Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Bouclé, Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Sheepskin, Beech
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
20th Century English Kilim Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Danish Wingback Chairs
Mohair, Beech
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Velvet
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Wool, Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wingback Chairs
Late 20th Century Hollywood Regency Wingback Chairs
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1940s American Vintage Wingback Chairs
Mahogany
1940s American Vintage Wingback Chairs
Wood, Damask
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.