Chinese Wood Barber Stool

Four feet became a table the moment someone put a razor on it.

This barber stool was made in Shanxi Province, China, in walnut in the 19th century. Itinerant barbers in northern China commonly carried or kept portable furniture with drawers or compartments for their tools. The form is a tapering trapezoid, wide at the base, with panelled sides and a flat narrow top that overhangs the body. Iron fittings and a hasp are visible at the front, and the dark brown wood shows scuffs and wear.

About 16 inches high and 25 wide. Sharp lines, practical past, good for keys and mail.