Wainscot chair

A wainscot chair is a type of chair which was common in early 17th-century England and colonial America.^[1][2] Usually made of oak, the term can be used in a general way for a simple heavy chair, or more specifically for a particular style of heavy panel-backed chair as detailed later.^[1] The name derives from the fine grade of oak which was used at the time for wainscot panelling.^[1]

A wainscot chair, English, c. 1600

Details

When used in a specific sense, there are many characteristics that are implied.^[1] These include:

• the front legs having been shaped on a lathe
• the back legs being square-sectioned
• having arm supports
• lacking an upholstered seat
• a panel back, sometimes rather plain but often carved with a relatively complex design