Stool (chair)
Encyclopedia
A stool is one of the earliest forms of seat furniture. It consists of a single seat, without back or arms rests, on a base of either three or four legs. A stool is distinguished from chairs by their lack of arms and a back. Variants exist with any number of legs from one to five.
The origins of stools are lost in time although they are known to be one of the earliest forms of wooden furniture. Percy Macquoid
claims that the turned stool
was introduced from Byzantium
by the Varangian guard
, and thus through Norse
culture into Europe, reaching England via the Normans
.
In the medieval period, seating consisted of bench
es, stools and the very rare examples of throne-like chairs as an indication of status. These stools were of two forms, the boarded or Gothic stool, a short bench with two board-like feet at the ends and also the simple turned stool. Turned stools were the progenitor of both the turned chair
and the Windsor chair
. The simplest stool was like the Windsor chair: a solid plank seat had three legs set into it with round mortice and tenons. These simple stools probably used the green woodworking
technique of setting already-dried legs into a still-green seat. As the seat dries and shrinks, the joints are held tight. These legs were originally formed by shaving down from a simple branch or pole, later examples developed turned shapes.
Artefacts of the three-legged stools date back from the 17th century, as does an illustration of an early turned stool of this period., reprinted in
Later developments in the 17th century produced the joined stool, using the developing techniques of joinery
to produce a larger box-like stool from the minimum of timber, by joining long thin spindles and rails together at right angles.
Turned backstools led in turn to the development of the three-legged turned chair, where the backrest was widened and supported by diagonal spindles leading down to extensions of the front legs. In time these diagonal supports became larger, higher and more level, leading to the turned armchair design.
The origins of stools are lost in time although they are known to be one of the earliest forms of wooden furniture. Percy Macquoid
Percy Macquoid
Percy Macquoid was a theatrical designer and a collector and connoisseur of English furniture, and the author of articles, largely for Country Life, and of four books on the history of English furniture, the first major survey of the subject, which have been reprinted and are still of use today:...
claims that the turned stool
Turned chair
Turned or thrown chairs are an early form of armchair, made by turners with the use of a lathe, rather than by joiners or carpenters. They are of European origin, travelling to the Americas with European colonists, then developing somewhat independently there....
was introduced from Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
by the Varangian guard
Varangian Guard
The Varangian Guard was an elite unit of the Byzantine Army in 10th to the 14th centuries, whose members served as personal bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors....
, and thus through Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
culture into Europe, reaching England via the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
.
In the medieval period, seating consisted of bench
Bench (furniture)
A bench is a piece of furniture, on which several people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have arm and back rests; some have no back rest and can be sat on from either side. In public areas,...
es, stools and the very rare examples of throne-like chairs as an indication of status. These stools were of two forms, the boarded or Gothic stool, a short bench with two board-like feet at the ends and also the simple turned stool. Turned stools were the progenitor of both the turned chair
Turned chair
Turned or thrown chairs are an early form of armchair, made by turners with the use of a lathe, rather than by joiners or carpenters. They are of European origin, travelling to the Americas with European colonists, then developing somewhat independently there....
and the Windsor chair
Windsor chair
A Windsor chair is a chair built with a solid wooden seat into which the chair-back and legs are dowelled, or pushed into drilled holes, in contrast to standard chairs, where the back legs and the uprights of the back are continuous. The seats of Windsor chairs were often carved into a shallow dish...
. The simplest stool was like the Windsor chair: a solid plank seat had three legs set into it with round mortice and tenons. These simple stools probably used the green woodworking
Green woodworking
Green woodworking is carpentry that works unseasoned or "green" timber into finished items. Working unseasoned timber like this means that account must be taken of its eventual shrinkage....
technique of setting already-dried legs into a still-green seat. As the seat dries and shrinks, the joints are held tight. These legs were originally formed by shaving down from a simple branch or pole, later examples developed turned shapes.
Artefacts of the three-legged stools date back from the 17th century, as does an illustration of an early turned stool of this period., reprinted in
Later developments in the 17th century produced the joined stool, using the developing techniques of joinery
Woodworking joints
Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining together pieces of wood, to create furniture, structures, toys, and other items. Some wood joints employ fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, while others use only wood elements. The characteristics of wooden joints - strength, flexibility,...
to produce a larger box-like stool from the minimum of timber, by joining long thin spindles and rails together at right angles.
Backstools
The backstool represents an intermediate step between the development of the stool and the chair. A simple three-legged turned stool would have its rear leg extended upwards and a crossways pad attached. Backstools were always three-legged, with a central rear leg.Turned backstools led in turn to the development of the three-legged turned chair, where the backrest was widened and supported by diagonal spindles leading down to extensions of the front legs. In time these diagonal supports became larger, higher and more level, leading to the turned armchair design.