A finely drawn Regency period x-frame stool in Spanish mahogany, beautifully upholstered in the luxurious John Boyd Textiles blue horsehair fabric. Of Gillows style and quality, after a design by Thomas Hope.

England, circa 1810–20.

Why we like it

Its form, inspired by classical antiquity, is both timeless and highly decorative. Beautiful original surface. Newly reupholstered, this handsome stool is an elegant accent piece for a classic or eclectic interior.  

This 'Grecian' stool form derives from Thomas Hope's Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, 1807 (pl. XII), which was informed by the ancient Greek and Roman examples, often depicted on pottery and frescoes.

This distinctive form also corresponds to a pattern later featured in the Estimate Sketch Book of Gillows of London and Lancaster (no. 3568, dated 1827), but the design is known to have been manufactured as early as 1812 (N. Goodison & J. Hardy, 'Gillows at Tatton Park', Furniture History, 1970, p. 22). The Gillows form supplied similar stools to Tatton Park, to Hackwood Park and to Wentworth Woodhouse between 1812 and 1820.