American Empire Mahogany Bench

The rectangular padded seat covered in brown leather, opening to reveal a set of library steps, over a solid inlaid seat-rail and ring-turned tapering legs ending in castors. 18in. high, 34 1/2in. wide and 16 1/2in. deep. Opened, 36in. high and 49in. wide. Rooms organized during the Regency period as libraries often had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The upper shelves were difficult to reach, so movable library stairs were invaluable. Further, libraries were one of the most important rooms in a stately house, symbol of its owner's wealth, culture and status. As a consequence, designers, architects and cabinet or chair makers devoted much attention to its architecture and decoration. Hence, the emrgence of innovative ideas such as our bench. Enter the Regency era metamorphic library chair/bench (chairs are more common than benches)! The tables, chairs and stools containing library steps were patented in Great Britain by Robert Campbell in 1774 but this innovative chair-based design did not become immediately popular. Once the Regency was established, a neo-classical interpretation of Campbell’s Metamorphic Library Chair concept started to become popular in London. Any early attributions rely heavily on two contemporary sketches...

Covered in striped silk, the molded seat raised on six stop-fluted tapering legs.

Attributed to Chapuis. The later circular black marble top above a frieze mounted with stylized laurel branches centered by flowerheads, raised on three square tapering legs surmount...

Modelled as a potted flower, the pot decorated with gilt bronze classical figures. With an 18th century English movement.

The rectangular base mounted with a round lidded ink pot with a porcelain container and a sand pot, each raised on winged lion feet, centered by a ...

Of oval shape, with a cupid holding a bow and arrow riding aloft a gilt dolphin forming a lid over a compartment, flanked by ink and sand pots on masked plinths cast with Medusa masks and mounted to a lion's-paw footed oval galleried tray...

An antique American Empire classical slipper bench offers upholstered seat over serpentine flame mahogany frame raised on urn form feet, circ...

This is an early American Empire carved mahogany bench newly upholstered in a blue and white floral linen. The frame depicts a carved cornucopia sloping downward to carved wings and ...

A 19th c., American Empire mahogany bench with outward scrolling arms raised on carved winged legs terminating in paw feet. The seat and sides ha...

Rectangular upholstered seats with klismos form bases with turned stretchers, bronze mounts and paw feet.

5 French Empire style (19th Century) mahogany square benches with bronze trim and winged sphinx legs (PRICED EACH).

Handsome carved mahogany bench, dating to the early 1800s, in the manner of Duncan Phyfe. One side ornately carved, one side plain — likely intended to sit against a wall, under a wi...