Hampton

Federal style, 1790-1810
Mid-Atlantic Region

Though often found in living rooms today, easy chairs were originally intended for bedchamber use. They were considered the seating furniture of the elderly or infirm, with their wings helping to keep away drafts. Many easy chairs such as this one were also fitted with a frame to hold a chamber pot, which would have been hidden from view by the use of a slip cover. The design of the wings and arms of this chair points to a mid-Atlantic origin.

Mahogany, birch. H 104.8, W 73.7, D 77 cm
Hampton National Historic Site, HAMP 3919