Can anyone help me identify this?? And maybe give me an approx age?

[Adam Smith1383]

Hi. I recently bought this in a lot of a few item at an auction and was hoping somebody could help me identify just what it is and maybe an approx age?

I believe it maybe a footstool used when milking?

It is short and has four legs, two of which are angled out.

Measures 11" Long x 9" Wide x 4" High


Stamped on one leg is 10 and on the other leg on the same side is an 11

Looks to be quite old and somewhat primitive

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!!256236256237256238

[curtis rosche]

a stool thats been castrated and had its legs chopped for something it did?
seems really short, but looks really really cool. no idea on age

[Steve Campbell]

Adam; As one who spent more time hand milking cows than I care to remember, I can pretty much rule out a milking stool. I'ts way too short and I don't know anyone that would use a four leg stool to milk with. The barn floors were never smooth enough. We always used three leg stools.
Don't know what you have there. but it is primitive. good luck finding what it was used for.

Steve

[Bill Edwards(2)]

The first thing that came to mine was a make shift stool for someone short, woman maybe,

to stand behind something like a retail counter. http://www.unclebill.us/bigs/think.gif

[Myk Rian]

Put a potted plant on it.

[Mel Fulks]

Since it has holes in the legs it might have had castors and been used in some kind of machine maintenance or repair.

[Jim Rimmer]

I agree it is old. May have been modified from its original height. The holes look too small for casters but could be. Maybe it was taller and was cut off to be a foot rest under a lady's desk. :confused:

[curtis rosche]

Im thinking it was cut at some point. depending on how old it really is, it wouldve been cheaper to just use two boards as feet, then to get 4 sawn peices of wood, and at that thickness for something so small. Of course Im assuming handsawn boards,,,,, but Im probably wayyyyy over speculating its age

[Ryan Mooney]

Adam; As one who spent more time hand milking cows than I care to remember, I can pretty much rule out a milking stool. I'ts way too short and I don't know anyone that would use a four leg stool to milk with. The barn floors were never smooth enough. We always used three leg stools.

We mostly used a one legged "stool", aka a 4x4 with a 1x4 nailed to the top :D

I'm going with a foot rest/foot stool on the original. Based solely on the shape and the holes in the bottom of the legs I'm going to disagree with it having been cut down. The wear on the sides is compatible with boots hanging over it.

[Larry Whitlow]

It would make a great bonsai tree stand. Not sure what it was originally.

[Greg Portland]

A woodworker 100 years ago --> "*NOW* it's level..."

[Sam Murdoch]

We mostly used a one legged "stool", aka a 4x4 with a 1x4 nailed to the top :D

I'm going with a foot rest/foot stool on the original. Based solely on the shape and the holes in the bottom of the legs I'm going to disagree with it having been cut down. The wear on the sides is compatible with boots hanging over it.


I completely agree with this guess and mostly because of the wear pattern. The fact that it all also laying over like its had to much too drink suggest that it might have been used regularly as a step stool too - maybe by some kids or ladies working behind a counter who just needed a bit more height for something regularly reached for and so over the years of being stepped on from one direction it started to get a bit tired. Certainly looks trod upon. The holes in the feet are a mystery though - some type of metal buttons to minimize wear or to slide easier? That would make standing up on it more risky - I dunno.

[Brian Ashton]

The wear on top suggests it was a stepping stool in a very dirty environment (lots of abrasives to wear it down as people stepped on and off) but who ever made it didn't add rails so it cracked and broke in half and then quickly repaired... The holes on the bottom of the legs look like they were to accommodate some of those anti-wear or anti-skid disks people screw to the bottom of furniture. What does it smell like - that may give you a clue as to where it may have lived. I.e. Oily, food, farm... smells

[Jeff Nicol]

Curtis, It looks like an old chair someone had sitting around and needed this thing for a certain purpose and took the old chair and cut it down to make the little stand. Is that a metal piece on the one edge, and if it is does it look like it went all the way around at one time? Also on the bottom are there chamfers on the edges in the center on the 2 boards, or does it look like it might have been a "V" groove that perciptitated a break of a single board and that is the reason for the scab piece on the bottom.

The first thing I thought when I saw it was a small step for a shoe shine guy, or it was for some one who had one leg shorter than the other and it was used to stand at their job all day. I guess without a picture of someone using it we will never know.

Cool old piece though,

Jeff

[curtis rosche]

Based on the wear on the rest of the peice, i would have to guess the holes in the bottom are more recent, or they wouldnt be so define and prefect would they?

[Ryan Mooney]

Based on the wear on the rest of the peice, i would have to guess the holes in the bottom are more recent, or they wouldnt be so define and prefect would they?

My vote is with Brian and that there were some sort of glides that went by the wayside after most of the wear happened on the piece in the holes which is why they still look so crisp.

One more thing is that the angle of the legs on the one side looks intentional and isn't (imho) compatible with them having been substantially longer.

Good question on the metal piece, I hadn't noticed that before, no idea but it certainly adds to the mystery of the piece. Can you get a better picture of that part/side?

[Mel Fulks]

I've got it ! Tie rack made for a Father's Day present .

[alan miller]

Curtis, It looks like an old chair someone had sitting around and needed this thing for a certain purpose and took the old chair and cut it down to make the little stand. Is that a metal piece on the one edge, and if it is does it look like it went all the way around at one time? Also on the bottom are there chamfers on the edges in the center on the 2 boards, or does it look like it might have been a "V" groove that perciptitated a break of a single board and that is the reason for the scab piece on the bottom.

The first thing I thought when I saw it was a small step for a shoe shine guy, or it was for some one who had one leg shorter than the other and it was used to stand at their job all day. I guess without a picture of someone using it we will never know.

Cool old piece though,

Jeff

It might have belonged to my aunt Ileane......:p

[Margie Melendy]

Don't know for sure but could it be for sitting at a quilting frame.They used to have the frame suspended from the ceiling on pulleys. they would lower them down to quilt each evening or when they had bees. As a hand quilter I Know how a 4"lift on the feet relieve the stress on back and shoulders. Or if they had the room to leave it set up all the time and stopped to quilt a little at a time during her busy day could explain the scuff marks. The angle with different legs would make it more comfortable. Just some thoughts from a different perspective. Margie:)

[Tom Fischer]

A woodworker 100 years ago --> "*NOW* it's level..."

Ha!

As is said "I cut it three times and it's still too short"

[Steve Friedman]

I love these kinds of puzzles. Interesting piece.

My theory is it was a boot cleaner with the metal scrapers worn down. Might also explain the leg movement, since the splaying seems be to where the scrapers are attached. Doesn't mean anything, but it looks like the front left leg in the first picture was replaced. It doesn't seem to match the shape or orientation of the other three. There are also holes along the sides without the metal scrapers, and I wonder if there were brushes or something else sticking out of those holes.

Just my thoughts.

Steve