Sets of 4 antique bar / Trafalgar back chairs, 18th & 19th century

Also known as rail back, Regency, Trafalgar and spade back chairs. A chair in which a straight or slightly curved top rail extends horizontally between or across the rear uprights. The design is attributed to Sheraton. In the early versions the top rail was often supported by vertical splats, sometimes plain or reeded, sometimes carved with various motifs. The legs were either square or more generally tapered, sometimes reeded. The simple, square form of the late 18th century chairs evolved into the more rounded shape common through much of the 19th century, sometimes known as spade back chairs, many of which were made in Australia from red cedar. The top rail is curved, extending beyond the uprights, and generally shaped and rounded at the ends. The construction is strengthened by a horizontal curved splat and the legs are almost always turned. The heavier the turning, the later the chair.