Appearing in the Middle Ages, ladder-back chairs had become widespread in England by the 17th century and were in common use in colonial America as well. By the middle of that century, they were also copied by fashionable furniture makers who used walnut instead of sycamore or maple and added elaborate refinements.
How can you tell if a chair is vintage?
The underside of the chair often offers the best clues as to its general age. Look for a tag with manufacturing information, including a name, model number or even a year for chairs made in the last 80 years or so. If the tag features a website address, that's a huge clue that it is a modern reproduction.