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)

Metamorphic Library Chair

Metamorphic Library Chair that turns in to steps. Oak. Circa 1890. Dimensions as steps:

Dim: W-43 D-63 H-89 (cm)

Price: £375.00

Mid Victorian Carved Walnut Nursing Chair

Mid Victorian Carved Walnut Nursing Chair. Re-upholstered in Red Fabric. Circa 1860.

Dim: W-64 D-77 H-96 (cm)

Price: £395.00

Pretty Pair of Water and Oil Gilded French Side Chairs

Pretty Pair of Water and Oil Gilded French Side Chairs. Upholstered. Circa 1900.

Dim: W-42 D-46 H-89 (cm)

Price: £975.00

Late 19th Century Walnut Window Seat

Late 19th Century Walnut Window Seat with Finely Carved Floral Detail throughout. Circa 1890.

Dim: W-85 D-44 H-73 (cm)

Price: £1175.00

Pair Carved Oak Hall Chairs

Pair Carved Oak Hall Chairs Circa 1900.

Dim: W-44 H-44 (cm)

Price: £95.00

Pair of William IV Mahogany Library Chairs

Pair of William IV Mahogany Library Chairs newly upholstered in a good quality Tartan fabric. High Quality Chairs.

Dim: W-54 D-61 H-92 (cm)

Price: £965.00

Victorian Ash and Elm Cottage Rocking Chair

Victorian Ash and Elm Cottage Rocking Chair. Circa 1870.

Dim: W-55 D-67 H-103 (cm)

Price: £228.00 This item has been sold

Rare Charles II Oak Open Armchair

Rare Charles II Oak Open Armchair with Red Velvet Upholstery and with Red and Gold Bolster Cushion. Rare early chair with barleytwist supports in good original condition. Circa 1650.

Dim: W-63 D-57 H-120 (cm)

Price: £895.00 This item has been sold

Victorian Pair of Walnut Tub Chairs

Victorian Pair of Walnut Tub Chairs. Solid Walnut. Circa 1870. £295 each.

Dim: W-63 D-62 H-80 (cm)

Price: £590.00 This item has been sold

American Edwardian Rocking Chair

American Edwardian Rocking Chair. Re-Upholstered in Red and Gold Fabric.

Dim: W-57 D-70 H-100 (cm)

Price: £275.00

Old Shop Bentwood Chair

Old Shop Bentwood Chair "Good as Gold Tea"

Dim: W-52 H-90 (cm)

Price: £65.00

Edwardian Inlaid Rosewood Elbow Chair

Dim: W-57 D-54 H-93 (cm)

Price: £125.00

Walnut Button Back Easy Chair

Walnut Button Back Easy Chair 19th Century Circa 1880.

Dim: W-70 D-63 H-96 (cm)

Price: £395.00

Large Georgian Open Armchair

Dim: W-64 D-56 H-106 (cm)

Price: £265.00

Bobbin Turned Oak Childs Chair

Bobbin Turned Oak Childs Chair Circa 1920.

Dim: W-35 D-30 H-64 (cm)

Price: £195.00 This item has been sold

Victorian Carved Oak Cross Frame Glastonbury Chair

Dim: W-69 D-58.5 H-88 (cm)

Price: £195.00

Oak Framed Cane Panelled Back Carver Chair

Oak Framed Cane Panelled Back Carver Chair with Shaped Arms. 1930's.

Dim: W-63.5 D-59 H-116 (cm)

Price: £85.00

Victorian Leather Button Back Armchair

Victorian Leather Button Back Armchair Circa 1860.

Dim: W-63 D-89 H-98 (cm)

Price: £1425.00

Victorian Tan Leather Armchair

Victorian Tan Leather Armchair in Original Condition Circa1850.

Dim: W-69 D-93 H-95 (cm)

Price: £1675.00

Edwardian Walnut Salon Suite

Edwardian Walnut Salon Suite. Seven Pieces. Dimensions of settee:

Dim: W-58 D-91.5 H-116 (cm)

Price: £750.00

Victorian Walnut Prayer Chair

Victorian Walnut Prayer Chair. Prie Deux. T-Shaped Back with Barleytwist Supports. Upholstered in Rich Red Brocade Fabric.

Dim: W-49 D-55 H-99 (cm)

Price: £225.00

Victorian Windsor Chair

Victorian Windsor Chair in Ash and Elm with Beautiful Patination. Strengthened.

Dim: W-57 D-67 H-104 (cm)

Price: £395.00

1930s Oak Framed Armchair

1930s Oak Framed Armchair with Cane Panels with Turned Supports, Feather Cushions and Moulding to Front.

Dim: W-78 D-75 H-75 (cm)

Price: £85.00

Art Nouveau Influenced Edwardian Armchair

Art Nouveau Influenced Edwardian Armchair with Mother of Pearl and Wood Inlay. Scrolled Arms and Cabriole Legs. Circa 1900.

Dim: W-56 D-52 H-103 (cm)

Price: £160.00

Victorian Cream Chair

Dim: W-63 D-65 H-60 (cm)

Price: £175.00

Fruitwood Comb Back Windsor Chair

Fruitwood Comb Back Windsor Chair on Turned Legs with H Stretcher. Reputed to be from the Home of Artist Lady Barbara Brassey 1912-2010. Late 19th Century.

Dim: W-61.5 D-48 H-98 (cm)

Price: £185.00

Victorian Walnut Framed Nursing Chair

Victorian Walnut Framed Nursing Chair, the arched back above a seat, upholstered in contemporary fabric, with cabriole front legs.

Dim: W-50 D-47 H-67 (cm)

Price: £345.00

Late Victorian Mahogany Childs Rocking Chair

Late Victorian Mahogany Childs Rocking Chair with Bar Back above Scrolling Arms and Turned Supports. Upholstered in Powder Blue Fabric with Small Cream Woven Motif.

Dim: W-35 D-51 H-62 (cm)

Price: £325.00

Pair of Edwardian Giltwood Bedroom Chairs

Pair of Edwardian Giltwood Bedroom Chairs in the Regency Revival with Faux Bamboo. Occasional Chairs with Cane Seats.

Dim: W-41 D-39 H-83 (cm)

Price: £365.00

Victorian Mahogany Spoonback Armchair

Victorian Mahogany Spoonback Armchair. Circa 1860.

Dim: W-71 D-80 H-103.5 (cm)

Price: £440.00

Art Nouveau Carved Walnut Armchair

Art Nouveau Carved Walnut Armchair Standing on Cabriole Legs, Upholstered Which Features a Decorative Carved Central Splat Back and is Standing on Cabriole Legs. In Good Condition with a Warm Patina, ...

Dim: W-55.5 D-61 H-95 (cm)

Price: £130.00

Edwardian Tub Chair

Edwardian Tub Chair on Turned Front Legs with Castors. Re Waxed and Cleaned Circa 1901-1910.

Dim: W-64.5 D-65 H-72 (cm)

Price: £155.00

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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