Featured Small Settee, from??

Would anyone be able to help me place this small settee in a context? Probably bought in the US, New York area, about thirty years ago, but would it be American? It is made of some kind of fine-grained hardwood.
Thanks...

 

Interesting. Circa 1890 aesthetic piece. Could be American or European. Something about the top rail at the right doesn't seem right. Something missing?

 

I think you can bet money on that, Verybrad.

Interesting "cat figures" perched on each side of the top of the backrest.

 

The top rail on the right is just sitting there as it had broken off, but there were clearly small spool-like turned pieces on top of the vertical dowels (one remains - apparently there would have been three sizes, forming an interesting pattern). On the far right there was some kind of finial dowelled in to the top of the leg, perhaps like that on the LHS front. How do you define 'an aesthetic piece'?

 

interesting looking piece