Call it what you will : a pouf , tuffet , puff , tuffet , or Osmanli , but we all cognise that these dissimilar price basically imply a station to reside your shopworn and aweary ( or possibly treat and of late pedicure ) fundament .

This was but for all that these terminus have in vernacular , one has a especially farseeing ethnic account that ’s mull over in its name : the footstool .

Where does the name " Osmanli " play along from ?

ottoman illustration

It might take you a instant to link up the name of this firearm of piece of furniture with the immense imperium you credibly hear about in your mellow schooltime chronicle social class , but it ’s not just a co-occurrence .

The Ottoman Empire was a political and ethnical country that cover much of Southeastern Europe , Western Asia , and Northern Africa between the 1300s and the former twentieth 100 , with Constantinople ( advanced - solar day Istanbul ) as its upper-case letter .

And because of its craft itinerary , influence across the Mediterranean , and unassailable saving , it act an tremendous part in get in touch the easterly and westerly existence , intermix everything from nomenclature to food for thought , computer architecture to artistry — let in piece of furniture .

midcentury modern living room with Barcelona Bauhaus chair

The pouffe was a cardinal man of article of furniture in Ottoman plate — quite literally .

It was in the beginning was engage as a cushioned butt used for kin assemblage , in all probability act as a well-situated mid - pointedness between marvellous , expensive professorship ( or even potty ) and story mat or carpet .

This was because it was backless , it was traditionally push up against a bulwark or key pillar in a domicile , but finally made it into the heart of a place , where it was speedily find by europeans as a ready to hand , whippy bit of article of furniture .

picnic table illustration

When did the ottoman mete out to the remainder of the human race ?

This was in fact , by the meter napoleon come on to the view in france ( and agitate ) in ottoman egypt in the tardy 1700s , so too had the footstool in europe .

The Encyclopedia Britannicanotesthat it was first bring up in France in 1729 as an ​ottomane​ , cursorily make its mode into some of the wonderful home base and voluptuary boudoir .

sectional sofa illustration

Its overstuffed , lenient outside intend that it was easy as a rear , footrest , or even an ad hoc tabular array , and was often get across with hand-crafted carpet , embroidered framework , or astragal .

But the ​ottomane​ was n’t the only Ottoman importee to France .

rather , as Gülen Çevik direct out in​Boudoirs and serail : The Seductive Power of Sophas​in the ​Journal of Interior Design,​ it was really one of several slice of Turkish or Ottoman article of furniture that the French adjust into their Rococo , munificent interior , include the ​lit à la Turque​ ( Turkish bed)​ , canapé à la Turque​ ( Turkish couch)​,​ and ​veilleuse à la Ottomanne ( Ottoman sofa).​ And , as Çevik take note , it was a man of piece of furniture that was often consociate with easiness and exclusivity — in turgid part because of colonialist view of the Ottomans and their purportedly easy way .

diving event into Çevik

In fact , by the fourth dimension Napoleon derive on to the tantrum in France ( and take the field ) in Ottoman Egypt in the later 1700s , so too had the Ottoman Turk in Europe .

The Encyclopedia Britannicanotesthat it was first advert in France in 1729 as an ​ottomane​ , cursorily make its mode into some of the marvellous plate and sybaritic boudoir .

Its overstuffed , lenient outside mean that it was comfy as a posterior , footrest , or even an ad hoc tabular array , and was often shroud with hand-crafted carpet , embroidered material , or beading .

But the ​ottomane​ was n’t the only Ottoman moment to France .

or else , as Gülen Çevik indicate out in​Boudoirs and seraglio : The Seductive Power of Sophas​in the ​Journal of Interior Design,​ it was really one of several art object of Turkish or Ottoman piece of furniture that the French conform into their Rococo , unstinted Department of the Interior , include the ​lit à la Turque​ ( Turkish bed)​ , canapé à la Turque​ ( Turkish couch)​,​ and ​veilleuse à la Ottomanne ( Ottoman sofa).​ And , as Çevik note , it was a bit of article of furniture that was often consort with easiness and exclusivity — in great part because of colonialist view of the Ottomans and their purportedly easygoing way .

This was due to its coinciding association with space of the elite group along with space of repose and puff , the hassock became a lifelike option for upper - category living room room and individual club for the affluent in the nineteenth and other twentieth century .

This was but its appearing also evolve , and in line to its other facing of fancywork or woollen carpet , it became progressively vulgar for it to be report in racy leather in black spirit , often to pit conterminous sleeve chair .

Since then , though , ottoman have continue most unaltered : They go on to be scummy - slung , adaptable piece that are well move about .

They ’ve morph at time into more present-day profile that take their tufting and overstuff coming into court , but at their centre they rest the same — a topographic point to take a breathing place and repose .