Dining chairs made for use at the heads of tables do have arms, and many antique dining suites were sold with both armed and unarmed versions in the same basic style. Keeping this in mind, examples of dining chairs with arms are being lumped into the side chair category here since they are indeed related. Also remember that in addition to all-wood versions, side chairs can have finished seats that may be upholstered or caned. In some instances, these types of chairs might have upholstered backs as well. For the most part though, the actual frame of an antique side chair—with or without arms—won’t be covered with fabric. Some modern side chairs are more generously upholstered except for the legs. These are more comfortable for long periods of sitting and can have more versatility when used in a living room setting or other areas of a home in comparison to traditional antique dining chairs like the examples shown here. The fancy chair is derived from Sheraton designs and developed around the turn of the 19th century when the United States was young. It belongs to the Federalist style of furniture and the popularity of this style of decoration continued into the mid-1800s. While primarily associated with chairs, the term “fancy” came to be applied to other sorts of painted furniture including some settees, nightstands, and various types of cabinets. It is important to note that a fancy chair (or any other type of fancy furniture) is much more valuable if the painted designs and gilding are all original without subsequent touch-ups. To bring top dollar, they must be in all-around excellent condition. A variation of the ladder-back is one style of the ribbon-back chair. In these examples, the chair will have wavy pierced slats looped in the center like a stylized bow. This old type of chair dates back as far as the Middle Ages, and it is a characteristic style of country furniture (such as that made by the Shakers as noted below), though more formal versions exist as well. The first is a Rococo chair style featuring an ornate, pierced splat (the element running horizontally down the chair back) formed of two long C-scrolls knotted and interlaced to appear like tied ribbons and topped with a carved ribbon in a tasseled bow. Originating in the early 18th century, it is especially associated with the chairs of Chippendale, whose original designs featured a bow in the center as well. Later the term ribbon-back was applied more loosely to any elaborately pierced and curved splat, like the example shown here. Ribbon-back can also refer to a variation of a ladder-back chair, in which the wavy pierced slats are looped in the center, like a stylized bow. The classic Windsor chair takes its name from the English town of Windsor, where it originated around 1710. This style has been produced over and over through the centuries since then, and modern versions are still being marketed today. This type of top rail originated with Chinese chairs, but it was also widely used in Queen Anne, Chippendale, and other recognizable styles of American furniture.
