A Rare Pair of Early 19th Century Yew Wood “Dresser” Stools

In his excellent book, “The English Regional Chair”, the author Bill Cotton suggests these little stools were intended for use upon dressers or side boards to display pottery or other family “valuables”. Perhaps this was their intended use, or perhaps they were small apprentice pieces, made by the trainees in the chair-making businesses of Worksop. The one thing we can be sure about is that these lovely little objects were from Worksop, made in the first half of the 19th century. The legs of all these little stools are turned in a very similar fashion to the “Best” yew wood Windsor armchairs of the Gabbitass and Allsop family workshops. 

This pair, made entirely in very well-marked yew wood, which is superbly patinated.

Worksop (Nottinghamshire), circa 1830-50.

See “The English Regional Chair” by Bernard D Cotton, page 166.

Length 5.5 inches, depth 4.5 inches, height 3.5 inches.

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