Antique Louis XIV Gold Leaf Footstool, 6-Legged, Honduras Mahogany

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Description

Some pieces of furniture wear their age quietly, and this footstool is one of them — a true antique dating … Read more Some pieces of furniture wear their age quietly, and this footstool is one of them — a true antique dating to the mid-1800s, not a later reproduction in the style. Crafted in the Louis XIV manner, its Honduras mahogany frame is finished in gold leaf and hand-carved with scrolling foliate and floral motifs — the kind of detailed ornamentation associated with formal French seating furniture of the period. The oval seat is upholstered in a striped blue-and-cream silk brocade with a woven floral pattern, finished with gimp cord trim along the edge.

What sets this piece apart is its rare six-leg configuration — most footstools and benches of this style stand on four legs, making the six cabriole legs with scroll feet here an unusual and distinctive detail.

This isn't just a piece styled after the period — the construction backs up its age. The joinery shows genuine hide glue, consistent with pre-20th-century furniture-making before synthetic adhesives took over. Hand-numbered assembly marks are visible on the underside of the frame, a hallmark of hand-built, one-at-a-time construction rather than mass production. The wood frame is original to the piece and shows clear, honest signs of restoration over the decades — the fabric, foam, and webbing have been replaced at some point in its history, as the original 19th-century materials wouldn't have survived intact this long. Beyond that, the frame shows only light wear consistent with genuine age, with no structural issues.

At just over two feet long, this footstool works equally well as a functional ottoman, a decorative accent at the foot of a bed, or a display piece on its own — its scale and detailing make it a standout regardless of how it's used. Between the gold leaf finish, the hand-carved detailing, its uncommon six-leg form, and the physical evidence of its age, this is a genuine mid-19th-century antique built to be noticed, not tucked away. See less