Why are so many sold as pairs?

Armchairs were often made in twos for a fireside, a hall or either end of a dining table. Just over a quarter of all titles on Sellingantiques contain the word pair. Sets go further. Fours, sixes, eights, a harlequin set of eight Windsors, a set of twelve and a set of sixteen all appear.

What does a bare "19th Century" date mean?

It means a range, not a year. "19th Century" alone accounts for over three thousand listings, with "Victorian" adding more than a thousand and "18th Century" several hundred. Decade-level dating clusters in the 1880s to 1930s. Where a title carries a circa year, the dealer is naming something tighter.

Which timbers turn up most?

Mahogany leads by a wide margin, appearing in around two thousand titles. Walnut and oak follow, then rosewood, yew and birch. Elm and ash belong mainly to the Windsor and country chairs, where the seat is solid timber and the sticks are socketed into it.

Is Howard & Sons the same as Howard style?

No. The Howard name appears in 542 titles, and much of that is "Howard style" or "in the manner of" rather than the firm. Stamped or attributed chairs sit above the general run. The firm's model names, Bridgewater, Grafton, Willoughby, Woodstock and Ingleby, recur across listings.

How old do these get?

The dated field starts at 1635. Joined oak wainscot chairs of the 17th century sit at that end, along with a William and Mary period example dated 1700. The young end runs to 1960, with 1930s Art Deco leather and satin birch chairs closing the range.

Are Swedish armchairs common on Sellingantiques?

Sweden is the most persistent foreign origin after France, with 279 titles. Satin birch, tiger birch and bleached oak are the materials named. They come as Art Deco pairs more often than singly.

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Antique Armchairs

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A chair with arms, made for sitting at length rather than at table, from 17th-century joined oak through Victorian mahogany and leather to 1930s birch.