A superb 1930s Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson dish top stool. The seat has been made from a wonderful piece of burr oak, quite rare to see as burr is very difficult to work with, especially when subjected to the process Mouseman used to shape it for this stool design. The oak is soaked in water until it can be bent into a more rustic shape as seen on this example. It's a time-consuming process that often resulted in the oak cracking and wastage. Hence why the dish top stools are scarce and therefore more highly sought after as not as many of them were made.
 
The legs and rails have been fully adzed. Again, rare and only seen on these early stools, the legs and rails on later stools are left plain to save time. This example also has pop marks (small indentations) to the bottom of each leg (as seen in the pictures). This indicates that the stool was made before the mid 1930s as the legs on these early stools were attached to a lathe so they could be turned and shaped. From the mid 1930s onwards, the legs were shaped on the bench, so the later stools don't have these marks and it is highly unusual to find early stools with these marks.
 
The condition is very good with just a few signs of age-related wear on close inspection - all in line with approximately 100 years of use - please see pictures as they represent the condition quite accurately.
 
The signature mouse is fantastic, it has been so well carved and is typical of the 1930s with the thinner neck, higher back end, and more prominent ears. It has no damage or chips to the ears.
 
All in all, the stool is an impressive, early piece that is now almost 100 years old and will soon be considered antique. It is a strong, sturdy stool, built to last with no movement in the joints and still very useable today. The size is quite unusual, these early stools are normally a bit bigger than this example, adding to its rarity. The seat measures 32.5 cm x 26 cm. The height is 33 cm. A remarkable piece.
 
*Mouseman burr oak pieces are always very popular with collectors as the distinctive grain patterns, natural cracks, splits and knots really add character and charm to the pieces, so they command much higher prices and are rarer to the market.
 
Delivery £15.00