Handmade Bow Back Reproduction Benches

History

• Bow back benches and chairs likely originated near Windsor, England, between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Their unusual shape was possibly the creation of a spinning wheel maker or a wheelwright, according to the Bob Dillon Windsor Chairs website, but this is purely guesswork and their origin remains uncertain. In England, they were primarily used outdoors and painted green for the purpose. In the United States, bow back benches were part of American Windsor furniture, most of which came from Philadelphia. The Windsor bench is synonymous with the Windsor settee, unupholstered seating with a back for two or more people. Love-seats are an example. In Philadelphia, the first Windsor settees appeared during the period between 1750 and 1770.

Amish Craftsmanship

• Solid wood, traditional Windsor-design bow back benches fashioned especially for children are among the items of wood furniture made by hand by Amish craftsmen. These oakwood benches are for children’s playrooms and also ideal for waiting rooms, providing comfortable seating for reading a book, for instance. The benches are available in a variety of finishes. The emphasis in Amish craftsmanship is on quality, functionality, durability and care in the selection of solid hardwoods. They also exemplify the Amish belief in family values. The result is heirloom quality furniture, made completely by hand, as Amish carpenters do not use power tools or electricity. Amish craftsmen work in areas like Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Holmes County in Ohio and Shipshewana in Indiana. These are areas with a long and distinguished history of American furniture crafting. Examples of Amish craftsmanship even have places of honor in the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Shaker Influence

• Some bow back benches feature a combination of woods, such as cherry for the mainframe, ash for the spindles and maple for the legs. They are available with four legs or six legs and in several sizes, and take their inspiration from Shaker furniture. The Shakers, a Christian sect that practiced between the 17th and 20th centuries, developed a reputation as fine furniture craftsmen. The Shakers’ legacy in the U.S. includes bow back benches and other furniture whose beauty is based on function and simplicity.

Reproduction Specialists

• Single bow, twin bow and triple bow loveseats are among the Windsor-style benches crafted by established American furniture makers like New Hampshire-based D.R. Dimes & Company who specialize in museum quality Early American colonial and English antique furniture reproductions. Tiger maple, oak and cherry are the materials of choice for crafting these lines of furniture. Almost every major Early American museum in the U.S. includes commissioned furniture made by D.R. Dimes, according to the company’s website.