Rectangular Carved Bench or Stool

This is another of the pieces from Mr. Andy Marlowe’s book Fine Furniture for the Amateur Cabinetmaker. It was my first attempt at this kind of project.

This stool is made of mahogany, but I made several others in walnut which was the wood the author recommended.

It is larger than an ordinary foot stool and this is why it was sometimes referred to as a bench. This piece is also of Philadelphia origin and the original is in the Winterthur Museum in Delaware.

The bench is more sturdy than the oval stool, in that the rails end in tenons which fit firmly into mortise slots in the legs and are secured with a walnut pin.

The crewel embroidery is again by my mother.

The use of the birds’ beak carved on the knees and the web design on the foot are not found frequently in furniture of this period or any other period to my knowledge.