A comb-back chair is a type of Windsor chair in which a row of tall spindles rises from the seat or arm bow to a horizontal top rail, the arrangement resembling an old-fashioned hair comb. It is one of the earliest Windsor forms and is often a grand, high-backed armchair with a shaped crest rail.
Comb-back Windsors were made in England from the early eighteenth century, initially in the Thames Valley and the area around High Wycombe, and the type was taken up enthusiastically in America, where Philadelphia makers developed it into a celebrated form. English examples typically have a solid elm seat, legs and spindles of ash, beech or yew, and cabriole or turned legs, with finer chairs featuring a pierced central splat. Later in the century the hoop-back with a bowed top rail largely superseded the comb-back. Early comb-back Windsors are rare and highly prized, especially in yew, with original surfaces and good colour. Collectors look for honest wear to the arms, stretchers and seat, signs of hand tooling and integrity of all parts, since replacements and later marriages are common. They make splendid fireside chairs.
