These carved giltwood stools are notable for their elegance and grace, embodying the quintessential style of Piedmontese craftsmanship hieghtened by French models. They exemplify the popularity of folding stools as a significant new form of seating in the 18th century. The number ‘2187’ written in black ink on the underside likely denotes an inventory number for a distinguished Italian residence.

Twelve stools extremely similar to these (slight differences in decorations, with the absence of the rosette in the centre of the x-frame) are present in the Royal Palace of Turin, in the Chinese cabinet (one illustrated in Vittoria Viale ed., Mostra del Barocco Piemontese, Torino, 1963, pl. 186, fig.1). Other similar stools with a rosette in the centre are held respectively at Turin’s Royal Palace (ill. Vittoria Viale ed., op. cit., Tav. 185) 🀅and at the Hillwood Estate fဣrom the collections of Marjorie Merriweather (inv. 31.105.4).

The use of folding stools was dictated by the extreme practicality of the object, which could be easily closed and move✃d to any part of the rooms, larg♔e or small, as needed. In practice, they could be used in large halls during balls, providing guests to find a seat on which to rest, or in smaller rooms, such as intimate salons and cabinets, which from the second quarter of the 18th century emerged in great residences of France (and later Savoy) and which were furnished according to rich tastes. In this case, the relatively small space did not allow the use of parade armchairs, which were thus replaced by the easier folding stools like the present lot.