Much more portable than heavier chairs, stools would be pulled up for use at mealtimes or used in an outside courtyard or garden. Crafted in the classical Chinese style of simple lines and natural beauty, this square stool (feng deng) was made in Hebei province around 1900. Expertly constructed from elm foraged from the forests of northern China, the stool combines functionality and spare elegance. Pretty stretcher bars, a stepped apron and gently tapered legs that end in subtle hoof feet give the stool its graceful silhouette.