history of the ottoman

380 Words2 Pages
An ottoman is a modestly sized padded, upholstered seat or bench that has no arms or back attached to it. An ottoman is most often used as a stool or footstool. They are also known as a tuffet, hassock or pouf. Some ottomans are hollow in order to store a person’s personal belongings. The history of the ottoman dates back to the 15th century, where functional wooden footstools where made with little draws instead of fancy upholstery or hollow spaces to store household items. They were very sturdy and useful, and soon became a common household item of furniture. In the 16th century Ottomans were transformed into a decorative staple for the rich. They were ornamented with handsomely woven braids and tassels with rich and luxurious fabrics. They were referred to as tabourets. They were used in palaces and castles for noble royalty. The actual word ottoman was introduced into the English language to describe a footstool in 1806; footstools were usually used in a reclined position with a person’s legs rested up on the stool. This was associated with the East according to European history. The word derived from Balkan influence, which was currently under Ottoman rule. It was not supposed to have been invented by the Ottoman Turks. The word is widely believed to have come about in the late 18th century when Egypt (back then a part of the Ottoman Empire) was invaded by France. The invasion included a lot of physical punishment to include “pain walks”. Thereafter these walks fashioned the Ottoman footstools to rest the victim’s tired extremities. They later became extremely popular in Europe and the term ‘Ottoman’ was used to give tribute to the furniture’s origin. While footstools were used earlier in Europe, it was quite new to call a well upholstered and quality decorative footstool an Ottoman. Following the 18th century Ottomans became widely popular in the United
Open Document