Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Evoking rusticity and relaxation through simple and elegant designs, vintage Adirondack furniture originated in the Adirondack Mountains of northeastern New York. The most famous piece is the Adirondack chair, which dates to 1903.
With its ample armrests and sturdy but comfortable slanted seat, the reclined Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee for his own country home. The postwar golden age of modern patio and garden furniture production — led by the likes of Brown Jordan, Knoll, Salterini and Woodard — was decades away at the time, and there were few pieces of furniture specifically created for outdoor use.
Lee, a Massachusetts-born Harvard graduate raised in a wealthy family, was no furniture designer. He merely needed a durable, rugged chair for afternoons in the sun while he was vacationing on Lake Champlain in Westport, New York, in the summer. The amateur woodworker used just one wooden plank cut into 11 segments that were jointed together for his now-legendary seat, which is said to have been made of hemlock, hickory or basswood.
The story of the Adirondack chair continues with Lee’s friend, carpenter Harry Bunnell, covertly patenting the chair and going on to produce it as the Westport Plank chair for a growing audience over the next two decades. Over a century later, the Adirondack chair has gone through several design evolutions while maintaining its popularity and basic form with slats of wood such as pine offering comfort both indoors and out.
The widespread demand for rustic Adirondack outdoor furniture was bolstered by the turn-of-the-century establishment of rural escapes to treat diseases such as tuberculosis. The low-slung Adirondack chair became common in these places of convalescence, allowing patients to recline and breathe in the country air. It also complemented the camp-style architecture that was prevalent in the Adirondacks for recreation as well as restoration, where rugged furniture with exposed wood and minimal carving filled interiors and wide porches.
Today, Adirondack chairs are made in a range of materials and can be found around the world, from ski resorts to lakeside piers, their durability and classic form making them an enduring favorite for spending time in nature.
Find vintage Adirondack chairs, benches, lounge chairs, decorative objects, folk art and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1790s American Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Tibetan Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century Japanese Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Tibetan Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century Chinese Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Linen, Silk, Sequins
20th Century Japanese Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 19th Century Tibetan Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Pottery
Late 19th Century Tibetan Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Fabric, Wool
Mid-19th Century Tibetan Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Coral, Metal, Gold Plate, Steel
1880s Japanese Antique Adirondack Asian Art and Furniture
Ceramic
