Gorgeous 19th C American Primitive Stool in Original Bittersweet Paint school painting I love it for the

I love it for the font and of course for the word handy--a good thing to have on hand

would originally have used to cut pieces of Areca nut--commonly referred to as betel nut

3 5/16" x 2 1/8" x 9/16"

and a few very minor flaws

dashing off this sketch while lively intellectual banter rises all around him

Gorgeous 19th C American Primitive Stool in Original Bittersweet Paint school painting I love it for theFound this week at a favorite antique store in Maine, and I paid fairly for it, but it's among my very favorite stools I've come across, in this best old bittersweet paint, and I sure do love a very old and much loved American stool. Photos tell the story as well as I can, but I will say its many times more beautiful and richly presence full in person. Wonderful. 10 1 2" x 6 5 16" x 6 1 4" t. Late 18th early 19th c. I believe. Sturdy and steady sound,