Josef Frank designed the three-legged Egyptian stool as a versatile type of seating that could easily be used with other seating furniture in living spaces. The traditionally manufactured piece was produced by the interior design firm Haus & Garten, founded by the architect himself in 1925.
The model’s form was inspired by an ancient Egyptian stool type from the so-called New Kingdom era, some of which have survived to this day as funerary objects. In 1884, the London-based interior design company Liberty & Co. patented this stool type based on an Egyptian original from the British Museum under the name Thebes Stool. Until 1907, they offered different versions in mahogany and oak. Adolf Loos developed a more compact variant of the Liberty stool, which was executed in oak, mahogany, and cherrywood by Viennese cabinetmaker Josef Veillich. Loos’ version is found in many of his interior-furnishing projects. Frank’s model features higher legs, a saddle seat, and a grip hole for easy transport.
Text: Eva B. Ottillinger
