Italian
Pair of Sgabelli Stools, n.d.
On view
Partly gilded wood
Dimensions23 × 13 × 13 1/4 in. (58.4 × 33 × 33.7 cm)
Gift of Viola E. Bray, 2005.131.2
Sgabello means “stool” in Italian, but came to be used for other types of chairs as well, including the ones with backs on either side of these stools. This pair of sixteenth-century sgabelli, with their plain rectangular tops and elaborately carved front and back supports, would have been objects to display with pride. Inspired by the ancient Greek and Roman art that was prized during the Renaissance, the grotesque masks, scrollwork with acanthus leaves, and lion’s-paw feet create a lively, yet carefully balanced ornamental base. Examples of this kind of stool, often used with a cushion, were frequently depicted in paintings and engravings of this period with important individuals seated upon them.
