Folding stool

early 17th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 520

This stool was originally intended to be used by a wealthy congregant of Saint Mary’s Church in Gdask, Poland, as a comfortable seat during Mass. Designed to be beautiful and portable, this stool is also personalized: in addition to the delicate intarsia showing birds and vines that symbolize the union of believers with Christ, the costly stretchers are coarsely incised with the initials “DS” and “IS.”

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Folding stool
Date: early 17th century
Culture: Northern German or Polish
Medium: Oak decorated with marquetry including walnut, bog oak, maple, green-stained poplar, and other woods
Dimensions: Overall: 16 1/4 × 17 3/4 × 12 1/2 in. (41.3 × 45.1 × 31.8 cm)
Classification: Woodwork
Credit Line: Gift of Alastair Bradley Martin, 1956
Object Number: 56.82
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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