This antique painted satinwood gondola stool was made by Druce & Co in the Victorian period. It has exquisite painted decorations all over which are in themselves works of art. The two themes seem to be musical instruments & floral work. Please enlarge all the images to appreciate the fine details. It's in good original condition & has just been polished & re-upholstered. There is a bit of rubbing of some of the paintwork, mainly on the top rail, but there is so much paintwork that one hardly notices. I think it was designed as a dressing table stool, but it could have various uses. We have photographed the makers label too.

Width – 24 inches, 61 cm
Depth – 14 inches, 37 cm
Height – 21 inches, 54 cm
Seat height – 14 inches, 36 cm

As the owner of a fine London home during the early reign of Queen Victoria, a person of note would certainly have ?Druce & Co? on their list of places to shop for furniture needs.

Established in the Marylebone area of London, on the corner of Blandford Street and Baker Street (later to be made so famous as the home of Sherlock Holmes by the legendary British writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), in the mid-19th century, on the site of the previously named ?Baker Street Bazaar?.

Thomas Charles Druce collated and displayed fine furniture from skilled makers throughout the globe. His son, Herbert, was an integral part of the business – taking over the running in 1864 when Thomas passed away.

With a keen eye for quality the Druce & Co company traded successfully throughout the Victorian and Edwardian eras, the Great War, and into WW2 when, at the end of 1940, German bombers destroyed most of the building and stocks.