Mystery furniture

[Brinybay]

Came across this vintage-looking piece of furniture in a St. Vinnies. Interesting looking, but I couldn't figure out what it's purpose was, and had no practical use for it. It seems to sit too low to be a desk, but it appears to be a work bench of some sort.

 

[Tomasso]

It might have been something made especially for an artisan's workspace. Just guessing...[huh]

 

[Warbaby]

It's a cobbler's bench. You sit on the end with the cut-out, nails and tools go in the compartments. Search Google Images and you'll find many variations on the design, but all with common elements.

The one in your photo looks like a nice early one that has been thoroughly over-stripped.

 

[Brinybay]

It's a cobbler's bench. You sit on the end with the cut-out, nails and tools go in the compartments. Search Google Images and you'll find many variations on the design, but all with common elements.

The one in your photo looks like a nice early one that has been thoroughly over-stripped.

That's interesting. Yeah, saw all kinds of them in Google images. Looks like somebody's "OMS" project (Oh Maybe Someday) that they never finished. This gal uses her's for an end table:

 

[MikeBravo]

Beats my theory of an early baby change table [huh]

Came up nice, though

 

["Skeet" McD]

That's interesting. Yeah, saw all kinds of them in Google images. Looks like somebody's "OMS" project (Oh Maybe Someday) that they never finished. This gal uses her's for an end table:

Ummm...yeah. The difference being, as WB has pointed out: yours appears very much the real deal, probably middle third of the 19C if I had to take a guess (the only modern bit, as far as I can guess--except for the strip job--being the lid for the compartment; hers is a 1950s "Early American" endtable...trying to look like yours.

Congratulations!

"Skeet"