about art, automobiles, interiors and more...

Monday, October 7, 2013

Windsor Chair

Fan-back Windsor 

In our bathroom we have an old Windsor chair bearing patina of age. The other day sitting on it I just wondered why is it called “Windsor Chair”. So the quest for the history of Windsor chair begun.  Here it is what I found out, In case you didn’t know it too.

It is not clear when the first Windsor chair was made. However there is evidence that around 16th century chair spindles were made the way wheel spokes were and perhaps the first Windsor chairs might have been born around that time.

As far as the christening of the chair is concerned, it is speculated that by 1724 the bulk of Windsor chairs were produced and marketed from Windsor, Berkshire, (of course Great Britain) therefore they derived their name “Windsor Chair.”

By the 18th century, steam was used to bend the chair to make the bow of the chair. The chair has since evolved into seven distinctive styles:
1   
     Sack-back
Hoop-back
Comb-back
Low-back
Rod-back
Fan-back
Continuous arm

There are endless choices of Windsor chairs available, you can buy a brand new one for $ 200.00 or an antique one for $19,000.00 + 

Cheers! To the Windsor chair…
A primitive 1790s Windsor through 1stdibbs


18th century bow-back
1790s comb-back

Comb-back
c. 1800 Windsor rocker

Sack-back
19th century American sack-back
Rod-back 
Hoop-back
Riviera by Crate and Barrel
Gilbert by Ethan Allen


8 comments:

  1. cool- where did you find yours? They're such an iconic chair!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! My chair came from a local antique store, can't even remember when :)

      Delete
  2. Great to know some history about this chair! the first pic whit a fan-back windsor chair is quite familiar chair type also in Finland, in the turn of the 1800-1900.
    Styles are so global whit different variations in it. Oh how i love design and antiques!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think Windsor chairs are popular all over the world :)

      Delete
  3. Well, that's a really nice chair!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I totally didn't know!! Your Windsor is very handsome and delicate at the same time.
    Cheers,
    Loi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! We always learn something new everyday :) But if you follow Karl Lagerfeld, he says "you don't have to know everything" :) :)

      Delete