Stools Through the Ages
For thousands of years, the stool has played an important part in homelife of all cultures and countries. Today, collectors enjoy their compact size and variety of styles, details, and finishes.
The stool had been the chief mode of seating around the globe from the beginning of recorded history up till about the 17th Century. The ancient Greeks used them in their homes, as did the Egyptians and pioneers in the American West. It wasn’t until the 16th century that chairs with arms and backs became commonplace, but even then, stools were much more widespread, as chairs were owned by only the wealthy and powerful.
Most antique stools found today are from the 17th century or later, as earlier examples simply wore out due to constant use. Although earlier examples do exist, these are rare and valuable.
Because of their popularity due to functionality, stools were always current with furniture fashions of the times. When Queen Anne style was all the rage, there were matching stools with cabriole (curved) legs and pad feet that matched other seating. 
When furniture styles borrowed from history, stools followed suit, thus we find Egyptian x-frame stools from the Renaissance, and heavily carved Gothic style examples with turned legs and stretchers from the Gothic Revival period of the 1740’s and again from another Gothic Revival from about 1830-1875.
Early English stools were simple forms, usually of oak with pegged joints and simple carvings. These are referred to as joined stools, and, as the style resurfaced in the 1920’s and 30’s, its often difficult to determine the age of the piece without careful study. An authentic joined stool will show wear on the stretchers (the horizontal members that connect the legs) and irregularly shaped handmade pegs that protrude from the joints due to shrinkage.
Stool Values
Stools are popular with collectors and prices are high for proven early examples in good condition, which includes original finish, and where applicable, upholstery. An English Gothic Revival (see photo) stool, circa 1830 might bring $500-700, a Georgian c 1790-1820 in original finish but not original upholstery Mahogany model with ball and claw feet $350-400.