Object Description
A Charming And Very Attractive Matched Set Of Six Yew Wood, Low Back, Kitchen Windsor Dining Armchairs, Having Extremely Well Figured Pierced Splats And Turned Supports To Curved Backs, Over Shaped Seats Raised On Elegant Turned Legs United By Crinoline Curved Stretchers.
Windsor chairs are generally one of the most widely produced, widely used and widely loved items of antique furniture. They come in just about every design, size, quality, timber and period that its possible to imagine, with windsor chairs still being constrcuted to this very day and often costing more to purchase than the antique versions.
There is evidence of the first windsor chairs in the late 16th century, but they were very much popularised at the very end of the 18th century and early 19th century onwards. Always constructed from woods which were freely available in the UK, allowing for constant, plentiful supply they are most often found in Ash and Elm, sometimes Fruitwood and least often in Yew Wood. Therefore the Yew Wood examples are nearly always the most sought after and best quality.
Windsor chairs were normally made by a whole variety of woodworking tradesman, in just about every town and village around the country. They were very often made one, or two at a time, rarely more, and this is the main reason that sets of windsor chairs are normally matched, ie put together at some point in their history, possibly even from when they were very first constructed, and more often than not they have small differentials in size and design despite being made by the same person, in the same workshops.
Windsor chairs are without any shadow of doubt the ,most comfortable type of antique dining chair, with many a windsor chair being sat in for hours on end whilst the occupant enjoys the company of their guests. Due to their almost never ending use and versatility the wood has often become smooth and glistens with age.
This set of windsor chairs are constructed from yew wood which as mentioned above is a really good feature and they also boast crinoline stretchers. Not all windsor chairs had crinoline stretchers, in fact the majority would have just ordinary H stretchers to support the legs, but again there is something incredibly elegant about the swept crinoline stretchers on these chairs. It is believed the term crinoline is borrowed from the crinoline petticoats which 19th century ladies would utilise below their dresses to enhance their silhouette.
Overall these windsor chairs are in excellent condition and have aged gracefully, retaining a good warm colour. There are a few minor old woodworking repairs which have been carried out exceptionally well a very long time ago and this results in all of the chairs being extremely sound from a structural perspective, whilst also being extremely visually appealling.
Circa 1820.
Height 36in.
Width 20in.
Depth 20.5in
Seat Height 17.5in.