Posted 10 years ago
kaotek
(1 item)
Unfortunately i do not know much about this bench, so any information anyone could give would be helpful. I recently found it at a resale shop and loved it so had to take it home. It is very heavy and looks extremely old. It appears to have had some work on it over the years as well. Thanks for looking.
Exciting? You bet. I think sitting on those hinges was more than exciting. Certainly not a love seat. Well done and crude at the same time.
Equally exciting to lean back onto the protruding wood and metal pieces.
Looks more decorative than functional.
scott
It looks like a carriage/stagecoach seat...does the part you sit down on open? It looks like a latch is there to open it...if so...that is where weapons were kept to defend the stagecoach/carriage. I just saw a similar seat on a show. :)
Thanks for the responses. A section of the seat lifts for storage, but not the whole thing. I was thinking it may have been an old settee in a church possibly. The weight would lead me to believe that it would be to heavy for a stagecoach though.
its a Gothic hall chair popular in Europe in 17th/18th century in castles and great halls many different styles exist but all have the big bulky look
https://www.google.ie/search?q=gothic+hall+chair&safe=active&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=_ddPVIKuO7Gv7AaO4YHYAg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=709
STUNNING!!!
Maybe it's an early version of an indoor toilet? Before indoor plumbing when chamber pots were used. The sides would give the user a bit of privacy. Followed by more "modern" versions such as this one:
http://mentalfloss.com/article/31798/martin-van-buren-had-really-nice-toilet
I can't explain the lock latch on the hinged hatch though! Maybe the lock would allow only certain people to use it - the predecessor to the pay-toilet.
What a beautiful Deacon's bench! How big is the storage compartment?