The Windsor Chair takes its name from the English town of Windsor, where it originated around 1710. This type of chair is a form of wooden seating in which the back and sides consist of multiple thin, turned spindles that are attached to a solid, sculpted seat. It has straight legs that splay outward, and its back reclines slightly.
Legend has it that King George II, seeking shelter from a storm, arrived at a peasant cottage and was given a multi-spindled chair to sit on. Its comfort and simplicity impressed him so much he had his own furniture-maker copy it. From this simple encounter, the Windsor vogue was born, according to the Treasury of American Design and Antiques by Clarence P. Hornung.
If the Windsor chair developed in England, its form was certainly perfected in America. Colonial craftsmen eliminated the central splat featured in the original chair’s back. They also slenderized the splats and legs, and developed, for some models, the « continuous arm » – that is, the chair arms and back rim are made of a single, bent piece of wood. These alterations simultaneously strengthened the chair while giving it a light, airy appearance – « a delicate balance and harmony, » as Hornung puts it in his text.
Chair Type: Dining Chairs, Dining Chairs
Measures 22.8 inches wide x 18.5 inches deep x 37.8 inches high
Materials: Rattan
Contemporary style
Set Size: Set of 2
Seat Height: 18.3 in.
Color: White
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Legend has it that King George II, seeking shelter from a storm, arrived at a peasant cottage and was given a multi-spindled chair to sit on. Its comfort and simplicity impressed him so much he had his own furniture-maker copy it. From this simple encounter, the Windsor vogue was born, according to the Treasury of American Design and Antiques by Clarence P. Hornung.