Chippendale Open Armchair
A chippendale open armchair brings substantial mahogany framing, graceful carved details and generous upholstered seats straight into a formal library or study.
Chippendale Open Armchair
A chippendale open armchair spans formal 18th century examples from the George II and George III periods alongside later revival pieces from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. These seats appear as library armchairs, Gainsborough chairs with upholstered arms, and elbow or desk chairs intended for reception rooms and studies.
The version most commonly met on this page is the 19th-century or early 20th-century Chippendale style revival armchair, constructed in solid mahogany with open arms and carved details. Pieces range from grand library seats with leather hides to country workshop interpretations utilising elm or fruitwood.
Forms include library armchairs on hipped cabriole legs, Cockpen chairs, and ladder-back elbow chairs with tapestry or fabric seats. Origins stretch across English workshops, Scottish regional makers, and Irish cabinet makers working in walnut and mahogany.
Materials and Construction
Makers constructed these chairs primarily from dense mahogany, occasionally utilising walnut, fruitwood, elm, or oak for regional and country interpretations. Timber frames were joined with traditional joinery and supported carved splats, blind fretwork, and hipped cabriole legs terminating in specific foot designs.
Upholstery methods involved drop-in seats, tapestry panels, and fixed leather or fabric coverings fastened with brass tacks. Damask upholstery, old red leather, and hand-dyed English hide completed the seating surfaces of library and Gainsborough armchairs.
Chippendale Open Armchair Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for chippendale open armchair among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Old library armchairs often retain decades of ink stains and worn leather from generations of readers falling asleep over heavy volumes.
Qualities of Construction and Carving
The standard of a chippendale open armchair rests upon the crispness of the hand-carved ornamentation and the selection of the timber. Deeply undercut blind carving, well-proportioned arm supports, and substantial framing separate ambitious cabinet work from simpler revival output.
Proportion and scale distinguish individual pieces, as larger library models require heavier timbers and balanced carriage to maintain stability. The integration of original leather or period textiles alongside sound joinery determines the overall integrity of surviving chairs.
Thomas Chippendale·Howard and Sons
The Chippendale Open Armchair Glossary
- Gainsborough armchair
- A wide, upholstered armchair with open padded arms, a square back, and short legs dating to the mid-18th century and later revivals.
- Blind fretwork
- Low-relief carved ornamentation applied to furniture rails and stiles, resembling Chinese or Gothic lattice patterns without piercing the wood.
- Cockpen chair
- An open armchair featuring a lattice-work back derived from Chinese Chippendale designs popular in the 18th century and revived later.
- Cabriole leg
- A furniture leg that curves out at the knee and tapers inward to an ankle, frequently seen on 18th-century seating.
- Elbow chair
- A term used historically to describe an armchair, often utilised at a desk or dining table.
Chippendale Open Armchair: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Gainsborough armchair?
A Gainsborough armchair is a wide library or desk seat featuring open upholstered arms and a low, square back designed for comfortable sitting.
These chairs typically stand on four legs, often with carved cabriole knees, and are traditionally covered in leather or damask.
How do I identify a Chippendale revival chair?
Revival chairs from the 19th and early 20th centuries imitate 18th-century forms using machine-assisted joinery and different secondary woods.
Inspect the underside and interior frame components for timber ageing, tool marks, and construction methods characteristic of later workshop production.
Were these chairs used for dining?
Open armchairs were generally placed in libraries, drawing rooms, and studies as reading or desk seats rather than around dining tables.
Matching sets often included side chairs for dining alongside a pair of armchairs designated for the heads of the table.
What is blind fretwork?
Blind fretwork is flat-backed carved wooden ornamentation applied directly onto the surface of chair rails and legs to create geometric patterns.
This technique was popular during the mid-18th century under Chinese and Gothic design influences.