Yorkshire compound-bent bow back Windsor armchair, with 6 long sticks, 2 short, crook underarms, round seat, turned legs and H stretcher, painted green WS 218

Yorkshire compound-bent bow back Windsor armchair, with 6 long sticks, 2 short, crook underarms, round seat, turned legs and H stretcher, painted green WS 218

The retired dealer mentioned in WS 217 allowed me to record this green painted Windsor chair and told me that he had purchased it many years ago from a Sheffield auction house. He had seen others with their distinctive circular seat and believed that they were produced in Yorkshire. 

Side view WS 218

As is obvious from this picture, the back bow also has the compound bend mentioned in Bowett's RF 2004 article, which he points out is unique among British Windsor chairs. He goes on to say " The top bow is round in section and has a two-dimensional or compound curve; it is not only arched, as are all Windsor top bows, but it is also curved backwards. This gives the chair a barrel-shaped back which is amazingly comfortable, and suggests a sophistication of design which belies their often crude appearance."

An identical chair, again made out of ash wood, passed through the sale room of Summersgills in Easingwold (which is a few miles to the Northwest of York) in September 2017 but was simply described as a "Windsor chair". A third identical chair is located in a Museum in the City of York with the title of a local Windsor chair.

Arm terminal WS 218

Round seat, painted green WS 218 

© William Sergeant 2021