Footstool
ca.1840-60 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The style of this footstool reflects details of furniture design in Paris in the 1780s, but Parisian chairs and stools at that date were never made of veneered luxury woods, as these are. Veneering with tropical hardwoods was the work of cabinet-makers, known as ébénistes (from the word ‘ebony’), whereas joinery or chair-making was the work of menuisiers, who made carved furniture that was polished or painted or gilded.
John Jones, the original owner of this stool and its pair (1031A-1882), was a military outfitter, who lived in London and used his wealth to form an extensive collection of French 18th-century decorative art. In 1882 he left the collection to the South Kensington Museum, the forerunner of the V&A. Jones was taken in by some 19th-century fakes, but it is unlikely that he was taken in by these. More probably, he saw these as useful reproduction pieces that would help to furnish his house in Piccadilly. He had a further pair which were covered in Aubusson tapestry.
John Jones, the original owner of this stool and its pair (1031A-1882), was a military outfitter, who lived in London and used his wealth to form an extensive collection of French 18th-century decorative art. In 1882 he left the collection to the South Kensington Museum, the forerunner of the V&A. Jones was taken in by some 19th-century fakes, but it is unlikely that he was taken in by these. More probably, he saw these as useful reproduction pieces that would help to furnish his house in Piccadilly. He had a further pair which were covered in Aubusson tapestry.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Veneered in rosewood on oak, with gilt-bronze mounts; the upholstery covered in green silk velvet |
| Brief description | Footstool veneered in rosewood with gilt-bronze mounts and feet; upholstery in green velvet (probably not original) |
| Physical description | A rectangular footstool with a frame veneered in rosewood on oak, raised on four tall legs of gilt-bronze, the tops upholstered in green plush edged with green cording and gimp. The frames have outset, canted sections at the corners and the outer edge is set with a gilt-bronze guilloche band, set within a recess on the rail |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones |
| Object history | In the collection of John Jones before 1882 |
| Production | Although made in the French style of ca. 1780, in fact these were made ca.1840-60, almost certainly in London |
| Summary | The style of this footstool reflects details of furniture design in Paris in the 1780s, but Parisian chairs and stools at that date were never made of veneered luxury woods, as these are. Veneering with tropical hardwoods was the work of cabinet-makers, known as ébénistes (from the word ‘ebony’), whereas joinery or chair-making was the work of menuisiers, who made carved furniture that was polished or painted or gilded. John Jones, the original owner of this stool and its pair (1031A-1882), was a military outfitter, who lived in London and used his wealth to form an extensive collection of French 18th-century decorative art. In 1882 he left the collection to the South Kensington Museum, the forerunner of the V&A. Jones was taken in by some 19th-century fakes, but it is unlikely that he was taken in by these. More probably, he saw these as useful reproduction pieces that would help to furnish his house in Piccadilly. He had a further pair which were covered in Aubusson tapestry. |
| Associated object | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1031-1882 |
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| Record created | February 27, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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