MID 19TH CENTURY, PROBABLY CORNWALL

This settle is made within the widespread tradition of farmhouse and Inn settles which often formed the principle seating near to the fireside where they diverted draughts. The seat and the top board are curved on the right hand side, perhaps to fit against a wall. The sledge feet are unusual in being decoratively shaped to the front as well as to the rear. Feet of this kind raise the settle off the floor but were also used on some regional designs of dressers in the West Country, particularly Somerset. The surface of the settle had had a number of painted surfaces, and shows evidence of an orginal green paint, follwed by yellow ochre, black and the final coat of red lead-based paint with a lightly grained surface.
For other designs of West Country settles see G. Olive Farm and Cottage Furniture in the West Country Regional Furniture Society Journal 2002.