The History of Ottomans

The ottoman must be appreciated for a number of reasons. It is certainly the least presumptuous of all living room furniture; standing alone, in the middle of your living room, forever playing second banana to the big, plush couch. Usually modestly sized and oftentimes less ornate and interesting than the other living room furniture; no extraneous material, no superfluous bits and pieces. The ottoman is simply a reasonably padded, moderately upholstered little square, asking nothing more than for you to put your feet on it. Some might think that it is unnecessary, the ottoman. That perhaps it is too much to have an ottoman when you already have a nice, big couch. But everybody knows, the second your plop your weary feet onto a friendly ottoman, it is a feeling beyond compare. As the weight is lifted from your tootsies and that instant gratification swims from your toes to your brain, you think to yourself, thank goodness for the ottoman, and you settle back to watch Wheel of Fortune.

Well, you can thank goodness all you want, but if you do, you are not giving credit where credit is due. Although it is not 100% clear who was first to prop their aching dogs upon a specially made stool, we can accredit the French for lending us the word, which refers to a type of textile fabric. We can also thank the Turkish folks for inspiring the idea with their invention of the divan, which is the name for a long mattress laid against the side of a room or a frame for people to lean on, fashionable in the 1800s.

However, the idea of foot propping devices has been in practice since the Renaissance period. The 15th century saw the tradition of more functional footstools; people adorning their sturdy wood ottomans with little drawers instead of fanciful upholstery, or hollow spaces in order to store household items. These were the kinds of hard-wearing footstools on which you could feel safe balancing on to reach your best pantaloons on the top shelf.

During the 16th century, ottomans were transformed into a decorative staple for the rich and worldly, ornamented with handsomely woven braids and tassels and rich, luxurious fabrics. Ottomans were referred to as tabourets, meaning a small drum, and in the French court, while the King was perched in his throne, only their wives or equally noble royalty had the privilege of parking their caboose on a tabouret. This practice of restricting the use of ottomans for the noble was referred to as ‘tabouret etiquette’ and was regarded a strict and serious matter.

As the 17th and 18th centuries rolled around, tabouret etiquette was significantly relaxed and the ottoman began to expand and reinvent itself. Ottomans could now look more like benches, or could have independent and interchangeable cushions; they could be found in anyone’s home now and oftentimes were. Due to the prevalence of a disease called Gout, caused by a build-up of uric acid around joints and tendons, footstools and ottomans were often used to keep the feet elevated; a treatment believed to aid in the sharp pain associated with gout.

As you can see, the ottoman has endured a long foot-covered journey to find its way into your living room and under your feet. Like a loyal dog, it resides in your living room all day, just waiting for you to come home to relax on it, offering its cushioned head for you to plop your feet on and sigh with comfort. This is what the ottoman craves – people. What could make you feel better than owning something which likes you for your feet?

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