Rustic Oak Tripod Stool with Round Seat, France, 1920

A rustic oak tripod stool from France, made around 1920. Simple three-legged stools like this one were found in farmhouses, workshops and dairies all over the French countryside, where they were valued for standing firm on uneven floors. The stool has a thick round seat, carved from a single piece of oak, resting on three splayed, tapered legs. The legs pass right through the seat, and the round ends of the through-tenons form a decorative pattern of three dots on top, a beautiful and honest detail of traditional joinery. The oak has a warm, deep brown patina with a lively, open grain, built up over a century of use. The seat is softly worn at the edges, and the slender legs give the stool a light, almost sculptural silhouette. Use it as extra seating, as a small side table next to a sofa or bed, or as a plant stand. It brings warmth and rustic character to a country house, but looks just as striking in a minimalist or contemporary interior. Condition: small chips and a small crack on the edge of the seat. Seat top: 30 x 30 cm.