WING CHAIRS
Before the modern recliner, people relaxed in wing chairs – and they still do. Sometimes called the “easy chair,” the wing chair originated more than four centuries back in English manor houses, most often placed in imposing pairs to flank a fireplace. Its resemblance to a throne is probably no accident – chairs, after all, were originally symbols of status, made for royalty and the elite. Back before central heating, some practical-minded chairmaker thought of adding small pieces called “lugs” to project from either side of a high-back upholstered chair. The wings, as they came to be called, offered protection from drafts, and also served as headrests for occasional catnaps. Some of the chairs even had ratchet-backs that allowed them to recline, creating the Restoration-era “sleeping chayre.” Today’s versions are considerably more varied – and, unfortunately, often less attractive. But what they lack in style, they generally make up for in comfort. And in our peripatetic modern lives, that’s sometimes a more critical priority.
Pictured: In the Queen’s Closet at Ham House, England, the wing chair’s ancestor.
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