A wooden chair is a seat for one person constructed principally from timber, with a back and often arms, made without full upholstery. The category encompasses an enormous range of forms, from the earliest joined oak chairs to country Windsors, rush-seated ladderbacks and elegant Georgian dining chairs.
In England the panelled wainscot chair of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was a symbol of status, while stools and benches remained everyday seating. From the late seventeenth century walnut chairs with carved crestings and caned seats appeared, followed by mahogany dining chairs of the Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton styles, often with drop-in upholstered seats. Country makers produced Windsor, ladderback, spindle-back and rush-seated chairs in ash, elm, beech, yew and fruitwoods, with High Wycombe becoming a major centre of production. The nineteenth century added bentwood chairs, notably by Thonet, and factory-made kitchen chairs. Collectors assess the timber, construction, joints, originality of the legs and stretchers, colour and patina, and the sturdiness of the frame. Wooden chairs are practical and versatile, and harlequin sets of similar antique chairs are a popular choice for dining tables.
