Charles I Joined Oak Low Stool

A joined oak low stool, the seat a single board with moulded edge, above carved friezes worked with a series of stylised lunettes. The stool is raised on turned baluster legs joined by plain stretchers, with shaped block feet.
This form of stool represents one of the most enduring designs of mid-17th-century vernacular furniture, serving as a versatile domestic seat or occasional table. Tobias Jellinek discusses these stools in depth (Early British Chairs and Seats 1500–1700, 2009), noting their structural economy, regional variety, and decorative vocabulary. A closely comparable example is illustrated on, p.252, pl.339, dated to around 1650.
The present example survives in completely original condition with an excellent historic surface. An ancient split across the top board is consistent with long age and use, and does not detract from the integrity of the piece.

Literature:
Tobias Jellinek, Early British Chairs and Seats 1500–1700 (Woodbridge, 2009), p.252, pl.339 for a comparable example.