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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

Object Information
  • 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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