Mid-17th Century English Oak Joint Stool

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Superb Mid 17th Century English Oak Joint Stool with Wonderful Patina C.1660

A wonderfully characterful and increasingly scarce mid-17th century … Read more Superb Mid 17th Century English Oak Joint Stool with Wonderful Patina C.1660

A wonderfully characterful and increasingly scarce mid-17th century English oak joint stool, circa 1660, constructed in the traditional joined manner and retaining an exceptional depth of colour and centuries of accumulated patina. The substantial rectangular oak top has a moulded perimeter and is secured with numerous visible wooden pegs, above plain moulded frieze rails and four beautifully turned baluster-and-reel supports. The legs terminate in substantial block feet and are united by simple peripheral oak stretchers, with the mortice-and-tenon joints secured throughout by traditional wooden pegs. Closely related construction and turning can be seen on documented English joint stools of the mid-17th century The real beauty of this stool lies in its remarkably honest surface and patina. The oak has matured to a wonderfully deep, almost treacle-brown colour, with lighter areas of wear revealing the warmth of the timber beneath. The thick top displays extensive historic wear, shrinkage, splits, old losses and softened edges from generations of use, while the legs and stretchers carry similarly convincing wear. The exposed underside retains a wonderfully dry, untouched appearance, and the numerous visible pegs, irregularities and evidence of traditional hand construction give the stool exactly the character one hopes to find in genuine early English vernacular furniture. Joint stools were amongst the most ubiquitous forms of domestic seating in Tudor and Stuart England, constructed by joiners using mortice-and-tenon joints rather than the nailed construction found in simpler furniture. Surviving examples from the mid-17th century are now highly sought after for their sculptural simplicity, colour and surface; comparable circa-1660 examples are documented with closely related turned legs and pegged construction. This example has deliberately not been over-restored, retaining the knocks, splits, losses, wear and wonderful imperfections accumulated over roughly three and a half centuries; these are considered an integral part of its charm and historical character rather than defects to disguise.

Dimensions Height: 55cm Width: 41cm Depth: 32cm Seat height: 55cm See less