Long stool or window seat, of beech paitned brown, with floral decoration, the seat and inside of the arms upholstered in silk.

Long stool or window seat, of beech painted brown, with floral decoration, the seat and inside of the arms upholstered in silk.
The stool is raised on five turned legs (an additional one in the centre of the front rail). The plan of the stool is trapezoidal, suggesting that it was made to fit within a window embrasure with raking sides. The sides show curving uprights and flat top rails. All visible faces of the stool show panels outlined with light stringing, with formal paterae (rosettes) on the block above each leg, and trails of flowers on the front rail and down the front of the arm uprights. On the back only the painted stringing is shown. The stool is now upholstered in pink silk, and edged with gimp, but traces of the original printed cotton cover are visible where this is worn.

Given by Mrs Walter W. Parish

The shape of this stool indicates that it was designed to fit within a window embrasure. Such window seats became highly popular at the end of the 18th century.

The shape of this stool indicates that it was designed to sit within a window embrasure, below the level of the sill. Such seats for windows became highly popular in the last quarter of the 18th century and were often illustrated in designs for rooms by architects, including those by the most celebrated neo-classical architect in Britain, Robert Adam (1728-1792). This is quite a modest quality of stool, with painted decoration, unlike the grandest ones with gilded frames. From about 1780 until about 1820 there was a great vogue for painted furniture, made by chairmakers and cabinet-makers, but owing their appeal to specialist decorators, both men and women.

W.29-1926