Carved Musical Bench

This piece was somewhat of a mystery for me. When I first saw it, I realized it was unusual as I could not take my eyes off it. The previous owners didn't know what it was either. When I got it home, a musician friend advised it was a very old musical stool.

It is a handmade piece made of solid wood and is intricately carved on the seat and all sides. There is a detailed carving on each side which resembles a crested harp of sorts. The seat rotates from left to right and raises or lowers by rotating an internal spindle. The carved sides (left and right) also drop open to reveal a storage space for sheet music. The wheels are metal and are omni-directional. On the seat back, it has two carvings of a bird's head.