Sedia Savonarola
Antique Early 1900s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Leather, Wood
Antique 16th Century Italian Renaissance Chairs
Walnut
Antique 16th Century Italian Renaissance Chairs
Wood, Walnut
Recent Sales
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Italian Renaissance Armchairs
Antique Early 1800s Italian Medieval Chairs
Leather, Walnut
People Also Browsed
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Yemeni Figurative Sculptures
Alabaster
Mid-20th Century German Space Age Chairs
Velvet, Fiberglass
Antique 16th Century French Renaissance Figurative Sculptures
Sandstone
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wool, Wood
Antique 1820s English Sofas
Brass
Antique 18th Century French Grandfather Clocks and Longcase Clocks
Ormolu
Antique Early 19th Century English George II Armchairs
Giltwood
Antique 19th Century English Grandfather Clocks and Longcase Clocks
Silver, Silver Plate
Antique 16th Century French Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Deco Decorative Boxes
Gold, Silver, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Sofas
Wood, Fabric
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Russian Natural Specimens
Other
Antique Late 19th Century Russian Islamic Vases
Silver, Enamel
Antique Early 1900s American Folk Art Decorative Baskets
Cane, Wood
17th Century Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Antique Mid-19th Century British Western European Rugs
Wool
Finding the Right Chairs for You
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.
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This Chubby-Chic Quilted Stool Stands on Its Own Two Feet
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Rock Your Cares Away on This Sunny Hand-Crocheted Swing
The boho-chic Enchanted Forest Swing, handmade by marginalized women from Turkey and Syria, is uplifting in every way.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.