The range of old ‘Country’, or vernacular, chairs is very wide. But they mostly fall into one of two main structural groups:
Jointed Frame Chairs – where the back legs and the two main back uprights are continuous pieces and the seat is a four sided jointed frame.
Windsor Chairs – where all the main parts: legs, back bows, sticks etc fit into a solid seat: effectively the chassis.
Frame chairs developed from the stool by the addition of a back, early examples being known as back stools.
(Laurie 'The Chairman' Kent - Antiques Dealer at Hemswell)

Edwardian Inlaid Mahogany Armchair

Edwardian Inlaid Mahogany Armchair with Elegant Green Traditional Material. Original Brass Castors. Circa 1900.

Dim: W-62 D-67 H-104 (cm)

Price: £595.00

Solid Oak Chair with Table Top

Solid Oak Chair with Table Top. Lifts up and slides forward to make table with carved decoration.

Dim: W-68 H-106.5 (cm)

Price: £230.00

Victorian Chair

Victorian Chair with Mahogany legs. Recovered in a purple damask fabric.

Dim: W-88 D-84 H-87 (cm)

Price: £420.00

Smokers Bow High Back Chair

Smokers Bow High Back Chair. An Early 19th Century Elm Chair, Typical of Chairs Produced in the Notts, Lincs, Yorks Area. Featuring a Hoop Back of Eight Spindles Flanking a Wheel Pierced Splat. Bowed Arm Rail with Outswept Pad Terminals, on Six Turned Baluster Spindles. The Shaped Seat on Twin H-Form Stretchers.

Dim: W-64 H-122 (cm)

Price: £395.00

Childs Windsor Chair

Dim: H-77 (cm)

Price: £230.00

Mahogany Upholstered Armchair

Mahogany Upholstered Armchair Circa 1910

Dim: W-70 D-76 H-97 (cm)

Price: £575.00

French Original Louis 16th Chair

French Original Louis 16th Chair with Later Paint Finish. Recovered in a Good Quality Fabric

Dim: W-59 D-55 H-90 (cm)

Price: £325.00

Victorian Spoonback Armchair

Victorian Spoonback Arnchair. Re-upholstered in Diamond Shaped Light Pink Fabric Circa 1880

Dim: W-71 D-91 H-101 (cm)

Price: £395.00

Pair of Victorian Mahogany Carver Chairs

Pair of Victorian Mahogany Carver Chairs with Tapestry Seat Covers. Circa 1880.

Dim: W-58 D-57 H-100 (cm)

Price: £850.00

Rare Childs Yew Wood Windsor Rocking Chair

Rare Childs Yew Wood Windsor Rocking Chair on Original Rockers. Circa 1830.

Dim: W-41 D-54 H-70 (cm)

Price: £575.00

Victorian Rocking Chair

Victorian Rocking Chair.

Dim: W-48 D-69 H-97 (cm)

Price: £295.00

Victorian Mahogany Childs Rocking Chair

Victorian Mahogany Childs Rocking Chair upholstered in Rose Coloured Velour. Circa 1880.

Dim: W-46 D-66 H-81 (cm)

Price: £325.00

Victorian Inlaid Rosewood Chair

Victorian Inlaid Rosewood Chair with Inlaid Panel in Original Condition.

Dim: W-60 D-60 H-87 (cm)

Price: £380.00

Pair of Oak Gothic Style Chairs

Pair of Oak Gothic Style Chairs upholstered in pink dralon.

Dim: W-65 D-58.5 H-91.5 (cm)

Price: £250.00

Victorian Mahogany Chair

Victorian Mahogany Chair with Cabriole Legs and pale Gold Patterned Upholstery on castors.

Dim: W-67 D-82 H-80 (cm)

Price: £350.00

Mahogany Small Chair with Cabriole Legs

Mahogany Small Chair with Cabriole Legs and Gold Upholstery on Castors.

Dim: W-43 D-56 H-88 (cm)

Price: £175.00

Victorian Mahogany Armchair

Victorian Mahogany Armchair with Cream Upholstery.

Dim: W-68.5 D-82 H-84 (cm)

Price: £495.00

17th Century Anglo Flemish Oak Chair

17th Century Anglo Flemish Oak Chair with Carved Back and later Upholstered Seat.

Dim: W-64 D-57.5 H-94.5 (cm)

Price: £550.00

Victorian Ebonised Nursing Chair

Victorian Ebonised Nursing Chair in Pink Velvet Upholstery.

Dim: W-55 D-65 H-65 (cm)

Price: £125.00

19th Century Childs Rocking Chair

19th Century Childs Rocking Chair with Ladderback and Rush Seat.

Dim: W-47 D-53 H-74 (cm)

Price: £245.00

Pair of Bergere Painted Chairs

Pair of Bergere Painted Chairs in the Regency Style.

Dim: W-46 D-43 H-84 (cm)

Price: £225.00

Vintage Childs Bentwood Chair

Vintage Childs Bentwood Chair.

Dim: W-39 D-50 H-33 (cm)

Price: £42.00 This item has been sold

Edwardian Inlaid Open Armchair

Dim: W-54.5 D-47.5 H-95 (cm)

Price: £250.00

Arts and Crafts Childs Armchair

Arts and Crafts Childs Armchair in Stained Beech with Caned Seat.

Dim: W-41 D-39 H-67 (cm)

Price: £145.00

Queen Anne Walnut Armchair

Queen Anne Walnut Armchair with Cabriole Legs and Drop-In Tapestry Seat. This item is currently off site. Please contact the centre before visiting.

Dim: W-73 D-56 H-97 (cm)

Price: £940.00

Edwardian Inlaid Rocking Chair

Edwardian Inlaid Rocking Chair.

Dim: W-60 D-70 H-87 (cm)

Price: £340.00

Victorian Walnut Prie Dieu Chair

Victorian Walnut Prie Dieu Chair. Prayer Chair upholstered in William Morris Tapestry Type Material. Circa 1850.

Dim: W-52.5 D-57 H-94 (cm)

Price: £235.00

Carved Mahogany Side Chair

Carved Mahogany Side Chair. Circa early 20th Century.

Dim: W-44 D-48 H-87.5 (cm)

Price: £95.00

Set of Four Gilded French Armchairs

Set of Four Gilded French Armchairs with Original Gilding. Calico fitted - In need of re-upholstery. Circa 1860. Off site.

Dim: W-74 D-64 H-111 (cm)

Price: £2350.00

Charles I Wainscote Chair

Charles I Wainscote Chair with Carved Back. Circa 1640 as carved into Chair.

Dim: W-55.5 D-59 H-116 (cm)

Price: £2250.00

Set of Four Captains Chairs

Set of Four Captains Chairs with Ash and Elm Seat. Circa 1910. Will split into 2 Pairs

Dim: W-53 D-49 H-81.5 (cm)

Price: £440.00

Edwardian Beech Childs Armchair.

Edwardian Beech Childs Armchair with caned back and seat panels.

Dim: W-43.5 D-37 H-71 (cm)

Price: £125.00 This item has been sold

There are many regional variations. But most vernacular frame chairs have oak, ash or beech frames with rush, caned or solid wood seats. There are several styles of seat back most having top and bottom crossrails. ‘Spindlebacks’ have one or more rows of vertical spindles between the rails. Vase and other shaped splats are also used. In ‘Ladderbacks’ all the 3,4 or more ‘rungs’ are effectively cross rails. Because they were simple country chairs, upholstered seats and imported woods such as mahogany were rarely used.
Windsors first appeared in the 18th C and many variants developed both within in England and across the Atlantic in New England over the next 200 years.
Again there is a wide range of styles and quality, from the humble scroll back kitchen chair, through the classic high and low bowbacks, to the very elegant, comb backed, cabriole legged armchairs in yew wood. Elm with its beautifully figured grain was the favoured wood for seats, with ash, yew or beech for legs stretchers and back bows.
Windsors were made in three main regions in England, namely: the Thames Valley including High Wycombe, the West Country and the Eastern counties of Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
There are always good examples of an extensive range of country chairs to be found at Hemswell Antiques, particularly from the dealers who specialise in country furniture. (Laurie 'The Chairman' Kent - Antiques Dealer at Hemswell)

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