This elegant antique fruitwood stool was crafted in Southern France, circa 1880. The square seat features four scrolled legs with hand carved acanthus leaves and an elaborate stretcher. The seat has been reupholstered with a colorful, 18th Century verdure tapestry from Aubusson, which is decorated with foliage and tree decor. The piece is in excellent condition and has a rich walnut patina and strong colors in the green, beige and blue palette. Aubusson, a town on the river Creuse in central France, became a center of tapestry manufacture in the 17th and 18th centuries during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV; Aubusson became the source for the aristocracy, hence the typically monumental sizes of Aubusson rugs and tapestries. Employing a method known as "warping" and executed on a low horizontal loom, the weavers of Aubusson were able to create an illusion of depth in their works. Aubusson textiles are also usually identified by their stylized framing motifs and neoclassical themes. Measures: 25" W x 25" D x 19" H.