Mahogany high stool.

FPF291

Mahogany high stool.

1820-1840

Mahogany high stool.

This mahogany high stool has a square-section back rail flanked by short moulded and tapering back posts, continuous with tapering and flared back legs. The seat rails are plain and are tenoned into the legs, supporting a flat seat panel with rounded edges. The front legs are ring-turned columnar legs terminating in ‘toupie’ feet (toupie is the French term for a spinning top).

This stool was probably used in a shop. As early as 1750, shop stools were advertised as ‘dy’d Beach [sic] Chairs’ for ‘Retail’ on the trade card of Francis Thompson, Turner and Chair-maker, at The Three Chairs in St. John’s Lane, near Hick’s Hall (Heal, 1953). In 1872, later examples appeared in the trade catalogue of W. Collins & Son of Downley, High Wycombe (Gloag, 1991).

Seat replaced.
Front left leg replaced (note that the turning does not match the right leg).

Mahogany.

H. 61
W. 28
D. 30

OM 6045. See Frederick Parker Archive, Box 55, Ms. FPA050, page 96.

Purchased by Frederick Parker & Sons on 26 May 1925 for 15s.

J. Gloag, A Complete Dictionary of Furniture, revised and expanded by C. Edwards, Woodstock, 1991, p. 607.
Sir Ambrose Heal, The London Furniture Makers. From the Restoration to the Victorian Era,1660-1840, London, 1953, pp. 181, 183.
A pair of related stools, described as hall chairs, was sold by Sotheby’s, Olympia, 30 September 2002, lot 284.