Shanxi Footstool

This 19th century footstool from Shanxi, China is elegantly designed with horsehoof feet, waist and apron made from a single piece of wood. It wonderfully exemplifies the type of furniture that was commonly placed in front of a chair or daybed to elevate feet off the cool, damp floors of the time. Although Chinese chairs are commonly designed with a footrest stretcher for the same purpose, a separate footstool placed in front of someone's chair was more comfortable and differentiated that person as the distinguished member of the group. This custom can be traced to early Buddhist sculpture, in which seated deities are shown with their feet resting up on lotus pods.