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)

Pair of Oak Hall Chairs

Pair of Oak Hall Chairs Early 20th Century. Please note that this is off site.

Dim: W-64 D-59 H-86 (cm)

Price: £500.00

Victorian Mahogany Elbow Chair

Victorian Mahogany Elbow Chair with Burgandy Upholstered Drop in Seat.

Dim: W-61 D-54 H-100 (cm)

Price: £335.00

Pair of Mid Victorian Salon Chairs

Pair of Mid Victorian Salon Chairs. His and Hers. Red Upholstery over Turned and Moulded Ebonised Frame.

Dim: W-71 D-66 H-93 (cm)

Price: £385.00

Art Nouveau Nursing Chair

Art Nouveau Nursing Chair - 1880-1910. New Upholstery.

Dim: W-44.5 D-45 H-92.5 (cm)

Price: £85.00

Tapestry Covered Open Armchair

Tapestry Covered Open Armchair. Circa 1950s.

Dim: W-60 D-54 H-86 (cm)

Price: £225.00

Victorian Rocking Chair

Victorian Rocking Chair with Turned Spindle Back.

Dim: W-59.5 D-69 H-104.5 (cm)

Price: £325.00

Pair Edwardian Mahogany Corner Chairs

Dim: W-69 D-64 H-66.5 (cm)

Price: £395.00

Early 20th Century Solid Mahogany Nursing Chair

Early 20th Century Solid Mahogany Nursing Chair with Hand Stitched Tapestry Seat depicting a Tree of Life design. Please note that this is off site.

Dim: W-43 D-60 H-82 (cm)

Price: £95.00

Victorian Heavily Carved Open Armchair

Victorian Heavily Carved Open Armchair in Mahogany. Very Imposing Chair.

Dim: W-66 D-67 H-125 (cm)

Price: £195.00 This item has been sold

Victorian Childs Windsor Chair

Victorian Childs Windsor Chair.

Dim: W-41 D-48 H-70 (cm)

Price: £220.00

Mid 19th Century French Rosewood Salon Low Chair

Mid 19th Century French Rosewood Salon Low Chair with Original Needlework Upholstery. Ref.324A.

Dim: W-50 D-47 H-101 (cm)

Price: £295.00

Edwardian Pair of Hepplewhite style Armchairs

Edwardian Pair of Hepplewhite style Armchairs in Mahogany by Marsh Crib Jones.

Dim: W-53.5 D-51 H-99 (cm)

Price: £695.00

Spindle Back Office Chair

Spindle Back Office Chair with Cross Stretchers and newly upholstered with casters.

Dim: W-66 D-66 H-78 (cm)

Price: £195.00

Elegant 19th Century Bergere Chair

Dim: W-54.5 D-61 H-82 (cm)

Price: £195.00

George I Red Walnut Corner Chair

George I Red Walnut Corner Chair with Cabriole Legs. Good Colour and Patination. Circa 1730.

Dim: W-83.5 D-68 H-81 (cm)

Price: £845.00

Late 19th Century Ladies Chair

Late 19th Century Ladies Chair in Mahogany. Refurbished to a High Standard.

Dim: W-63 D-60 H-71 (cm)

Price: £345.00 This item has been sold

Hille Swivel Chair Designed by Robin Day

Hille Swivel Chair Designed by Robin Day. Original. Circa 1965.

Dim: W-77 D-80 H-90 (cm)

Price: £550.00

1920s Oak Wainscote Chair

1920s Oak Wainscote Chair. Please note that this is off site.

Dim: W-73 D-66 H-145 (cm)

Price: £550.00

Carved Victorian Corner Chair

Carved Victorian Corner Chair with Ball and Claw Feet.

Dim: W-69 D-67 H-86 (cm)

Price: £185.00 This item has been sold

Elm Seated Smokers Bow Armchair

Elm Seated Smokers Bow Armchair with S Arms supported on 8 Ring Turned Legs connected by a Double Stretcher.

Dim: W-73 D-56.5 H-83.5 (cm)

Price: £125.00

Edwardian Inlaid Mahogany High Slat Back Armchair

Edwardian Inlaid Mahogany High Slat Back Armchair with Upholstered Seat.

Dim: W-55 D-53.5 H-94 (cm)

Price: £278.00

19th Century Windsor Armchair

19th Century Windsor Armchair in Beech and Elm with Rope Twist Centre Rail, Shaped Arms on Turned Supports.

Dim: W-57 D-54 H-86 (cm)

Price: £380.00

1940s Lloyd Loom Lusty Armchair

Dim: W-63 D-88 H-79 (cm)

Price: £50.00

Wainscote Chair

Wainscote Chair with Solid Board Back.

Dim: W-59 D-52 H-100 (cm)

Price: £475.00

Victorian Salon Suite of Sofa and Chairs

Victorian Salon Suite comprising Sofa and Chairs. Seven Piece has been Re-upholstered. Carvings in Mint Condition.

Dim: W-145 D-75 H-107 (cm)

Price: £3250.00

Pair of Victorian Mahogany Open Armchairs

Pair of Victorian Mahogany Upholstered Open Armchairs with Foliate Cresting Rail above Cartouche shaped Back and Serpentine Seat on Cabriole Legs and Original Porcelain Castors.

Dim: W-60 D-61 H-88.5 (cm)

Price: £1295.00

Good Set of Ten Mahogany Dining Chairs

Good Set of Ten Mahogany Dining Chairs in the Chippendale style, including Two Carvers. Circa 1930.

Dim: W-58 D-53 H-99 (cm)

Price: £2800.00

17th Century Porters Chair

17th Century Porters Chair with Lift-Up Seat for Storage.

Dim: W-82 D-56 H-193 (cm)

Price: £1790.00

Arts & Crafts Solid Walnut Armchair

Arts & Crafts Solid Walnut Armchair with high back and spindle Armrests, upholstered in beige fabric (modern) A very fine piece, of intriguing design. It does have features of English Arts & Crafts, ...

Dim: W-54 D-54 H-106 (cm)

Price: £660.00

Pair of Victorian Mahogany Hall Chairs

Pair of Victorian Mahogany Hall Chairs. Carved and Shaped Top Back Pediment over Central Carved Flower Head Panel with Shell Carved Lower Pediment with Front Ring Turned Legs.

Dim: W-44 D-44 H-95 (cm)

Price: £245.00

Edwardian Inlaid Spindle Back Armchair

Edwardian Inlaid Spindle Back Armchair with Sanderson Fabric.

Dim: W-36 D-59 H-106 (cm)

Price: £275.00

Edwardian Inlaid Rosewood Side Chair.

Dim: W-51 D-56 H-88 (cm)

Price: £160.00

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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