Lolling Chair

The term “lolling chair” was used in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to describe a comfortable, fabric-covered chair with a tall back and open, un-upholstered arms. According to probate records of the period, these chairs were used in both formal parlors and bedchambers and were often grouped in pairs. A woman might have been seated in a chair such as this – a worktable by her side – as she read or did her needlework. This chair, with continuous molded contours on the arms and elegantly tapered legs was probably made in the first decade of the 19th century.