Hi Jafon,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The thin black material covering the underside of this ottoman is generally referred to as "scrim" in the antiques business and was used as a dust cover. It would have been put on in the mid 20th Century when this 19th Century ottoman was covered in this colorful printed upholstery fabric.

Nowadays, ottoman are usually larger than yours and are meant for sitting and also storage with footstools being slightly smaller and without storage space. A slightly smaller one such as yours is barely large enough to be sat on and will appeal to collectors looking for something that isn't quite as large as a conventional ottoman.

The market for these, I'm sorry to say, is a bit spotty at the moment. Early 18th Century American examples can command four and even five prices at auction depending on condition, provenance and maker but most footstools and small ottoman such as this rarely bring more than $300 when sold these days at auction, and typically in the $100-200 range.

Note that private sellers will ask a more "retail" level price for ones they're selling so if you're looking to sell this, I would suggest pricing it at $400 or $500 and seeing if you get any buyers. You can always lower your asking price if you don't get interest.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

A large antique Colonial Revival walnut upholstered footstool
American or English, 19th Century
Of rectangular section, over-upholstered with a bright floral pattern upholstery, raised on straight squared-section legs. Presumably unsigned.
Height: 14 inches; width: 25 inches; depth: 18 inches
CONDITION: Good, with wear commensurate to age and use
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$ 150-250*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia