Featured It's an ottoman, of that much I do know....

Posting this on hopes that someone may help identify this piece of furniture that I found in a sealed off attic in my farmhouse, the farmhouse was built sometime in the early to mid 1800s and I have found newspapers written in french from that time period in the attic as well. I assume this is an ottoman of european manufacture most likey around the same time period but I am no expert so most likely I'm off a bit on my assumptions, what research I have done has turned up nothing of use except that Google keeps matching then intricate designs of the wood to a few different antique furniture pieces from a church. Any insights would be great and thank you in advance

 

Looks like a walnut ottoman ca. 1870. Beautiful! And you're so lucky to have what looks to be the original fabric!

 

A real treat to see original fabric.

Debora

 

Thank you for the reply, how would one suggest going about narrowing the down the possible origin of this piece? I have looked it over closely and have not seen any markings but I don't quite know what to look for on something like this. Thanks again!

 

The vast majority of pieces in the 19th century were not signed. Unless the ottoman is so distinctive as to clearly point to a certain manufacturer, and in the absence of tags, stamps, or receipts it will be extremely difficult to say exactly who made it.

Unfortunately I'm not an expert on ottomans and can't help you with a maker. Honestly, I don't think it matters much; in your place I would do my best to fix the finish of the wood with Howard's, and leave the fabric as-is, if possible. It is indeed a real treat to see 150+-year old fabric, especially on something designed to hold feet.

 

Haha thanks for the info, I'm not much of a finisher or skilled at restoration but I guess I probably should learn as I've just uncovered a bunch of old entry doors with skeleton key locks, brass and porcelain knobs & latches and some full glass panel doors all stacked in the rafters of a 100+ year old barn.

 

Cool!

Try Howard's Restore-a-Finish, if it's available to you.

 

You can sometimes date a piece by its wooden wheels, subject to them to being the originals, which look to be correct to me.

 

I'm sure it is online somewhere, I'll look for it, Thanks!

 

Any idea what kind of value this might have?

 

There are many variables, and prices are all over. If yours was restored, and with the fabric intact, maybe $500 to the right customer here in the U.S. Midwest.

 

Is that all? Seeing all the victorian era footstools priced at $2k - $3k on Google had my hopes up haha, doubt anyone's paying that though. Thanks!

 

Most items are only worth what a person is prepared to pay. Some values can also rise & fall in a matter of no time. I believe that $1 today is better than $2 tomorrow, and so if you are happy with an offer, take it. There are countless items for sale at prices they will never sell for, and just because an item may have sold for $2k is no guarantee or an indication of its value to the next purchaser.

 

I think it is American, a mass-manufactured furniture catalog peice, late 19th or early 20th century. Take a look at the side panel and the skirt trim. They are both "pressed" or stamped into the wood with a steel roller stamp, a common method for quickly and inexpensively decorating flat wood surfaces. You see this much more commonly in kitchen chair backs of the era.

 

Ewww that's disappointing

 

Well, as I mentioned, prices are all over. You may do better, depending on your access to markets, etc.