Wooden Tub Armchair
A wooden tub armchair is a low, curved seat built for comfort, and the examples here span the Victorian and Edwardian periods.
Wooden Tub Armchair
When you search for a wooden tub armchair, you encounter low seating forms designed to wrap around the sitter. The selection includes captain's chairs, smoker's bows, and desk chairs originating from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Most pieces on this page take the form of smoker's bows and Windsor variants with curved wooden backs. These functional seats appear in formats ranging from single library chairs to matched pairs and larger dining sets.
Makers working in the Victorian and Edwardian eras also produced occasional chairs and low upholstered variants. These examples utilise walnut, mahogany, and ash alongside the more common elm and beech frameworks.
Materials and construction methods
Cabinetmakers and chair bodgers built these frames using native timbers such as elm, beech, ash, and oak. Solid timber sections formed the continuous curved arm rails and saddle seats.
Joinery methods combined traditional steam-bending for the back rails with turned spindles and legs wedged directly into the thick wooden seats. Brass fittings, leather upholstery, and cane work appear on specific desk and occasional variations.
Listings feature items spanning the Victorian and Edwardian periods, constructed primarily from elm, beech, ash, and oak.
Assessing quality and construction
The distinction between ordinary and superior chairs rests on timber selection and timber figure, particularly in burr elm and polished oak seats. Heavy, well-seasoned woods provide structural integrity that lighter secondary timbers lack.
Judicious turning on spindles and balanced proportions in the curved back rail separate standard workshop production from finer country house seating. Surface condition, including original patination on the bare wood, dictates visual depth.
The Wooden Tub Armchair Glossary
- Smoker's bow
- A low wooden armchair with a continuous curved back rail supported by turned spindles. This form is closely related to the Windsor tradition.
- Captain's chair
- A sturdy low-backed wooden armchair designed for office or domestic use. These pieces often feature generous saddle seats.
- Windsor chair
- A chair constructed with upright spindles inserted into a solid wooden seat rather than a frame. The components rely on wedged tenon joints.
- Bergere
- An enclosed upholstered armchair with a wooden frame, frequently featuring cane panels on the back and sides.
- Patina
- The surface sheen and colour developed on wood through age, handling, and regular polishing.
Wooden Tub Armchair: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a smoker's bow?
A smoker's bow is a sturdy wooden armchair with a low, continuous curved back rail and turned spindles.
These chairs date primarily from the nineteenth century and served as comfortable seating in domestic parlours and offices.
What woods were used for these chairs?
Cabinetmakers utilised domestic hardwoods including elm, beech, ash, and oak for their strength.
Elm frequently appears in the carved seats for its resistance to splitting, while beech and ash formed the steam-bent rails.
Where were wooden armchairs placed?
These low armchairs suited studies, libraries, and smoking rooms where compact seating was practical.
Their sturdy construction allowed them to function effectively as desk chairs or occasional parlour seating.