Summary:
• Item: Oak Barrel Stool
• Circa: 1890
• Period: Victorian
• Material: Oak
• Provenance: England, UK
• Cabinetmaker: R A Lister & Co.
• Recessed lid
• Original brass bound exterior
• Original iron carrying handles
• Excellent colour and patination
• Free delivery to England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• Free 14-day UK returns policy
Description:
Here is a fine quality antique English Victorian oak & brass bound butter barrel stool made by R. A. Lister & Co., circa 1890, in excellent condition. Originally designed as a functional barrel to make butter. The bucket is constructed with vertical oak planks, secured by bounding. The bucket features a brass bound, recessed lid, allowing items to be placed on the top, without risk of them rolling off. The oak lid lifts off to reveal storage space inside, with drainage holes to the base. Additionally, the company label is located inside the rim, below the lid. The bucket also retains its original triangular iron carrying handles, constructed with several brass bound rings. This item is well-constructed and ready to use as either a decorative item, stool or storage bucket / box around the house.
This item features a rich, warm brown oak colour. As it boasts the original polish, it has a fantastic colour and patination; this can only be achieved through age and years of care and cleaning it has received.
This oak barrel / bucket is a very useful and versatile item; it can serve as a coal or firewood bucket, bread bin, waste bin, or even as a planter in the garden! It would be suited to a variety of settings, such as the hallway, living room or garden. This item would certainly grace any home and is a great investment, as it is extremely functional. So, don’t miss out on your chance to own a lovely piece of furniture.
Provenance – R A Lister & Co.:
R A Lister & Co. was founded in 1867 by Robert Ashton Lister. After falling out with his father, following exhibiting the family’s products at the Paris Exhibition of the same year, Robert founded the company in the former Howard’s Lower Mill, on Water Street in Dursley, to manufacture agricultural machinery. Through the rest of the 19th Century, the company was responsible for purchasing the rights to, and then perfecting the design of Mikael Pedersen’s cream separator, which, by centrifugal force allowed for a constant running speed and more regular consistency of cream. Robert even transported the first cream separator to Western Canada by horse buggy, over the plains of Alberta.
The turn of the 20th Century saw expansion into other products, such as sheep shearing equipment, milk churns, wooden butter barrels, as well as producing garden furniture from wooden off-cuts. Through the first half of the 20th Century, the company moved into the production of internal combustion engines, including the introduction of the Lister Auto-Truck in 1926, for the movement of goods around factories, stations and dockyards.
In 1967, the company was bought out by engineering and aerospace giant Hawker Siddeley, who later merged them with their old rival Petter Diesels, forming Lister Petter Ltd in 1986. However, the 1990s saw a decline in demand from overseas, and Hawker Siddeley itself was bought out by BTR plc in 1992, who in turn merged with Seibe in 1999 to form Invensys plc, and Lister Petter was sold off, with various aspects of the business portioned off to different companies.
In modern times, the company Lister Petter, having survived various mergers and buyouts, as well as three periods of administration in the 2010s, still survives to this day, supplying industrial and marine powerplants.
Condition Report:
This oak barrel / coal bucket is in excellent condition, considering its age. Nominal old use marks to the leading edges and interior, but nothing significant, considering the age of the item. The lid is original, as are the iron carrying handles. The item solid and ready to be used.
Dimensions:
Height = 44.1cm or 17⅜” or 1ft 5⅜”
Depth = 41cm or 16⅛” or 1ft 4⅛”
Terms & Conditions:
Before you purchase this item, please ensure you have read and are in agreement with our Terms & Conditions of Sale. If you have any questions regarding our Terms & Conditions of Sale, please contact us to discuss them, before purchasing this item.
Ref. 50189