General Auction of 1046 Lots inc. Antique Enamelled Signs, Vintage Gaming Consoles, G-Plan, Art, Silver & Gold, Wedgewood, Doulton, Many Tools, White Goods, Georgian & Victorian Furniture etc.
Lot 995: A 19th Century Primitive Wooden Boot Jack or Shoemaker's Bench
A vernacular wooden tool of primitive construction, likely serving as a boot jack or a shoemaker’s auxiliary bench. The piece is formed from a thick, roughly finished rectangular wooden board featuring a deep U-shaped cutout at one end designed to grip a boot heel. The board is elevated at the front by two short, bulbous turned wooden legs and supported at the rear by a single vertical peg. Two additional upright pegs are inset into the top surface near the cutout end to provide handholds or leverage. The item features hand-cut joinery and heavy-set construction consistent with 19th-century rural craftsmanship. No maker’s marks, stamps, or inscriptions are visible on the wooden surfaces. A contemporary white adhesive paper label bearing the printed number 995 is attached to one side.
Condition report:
The item shows signs of heavy agricultural or workshop use. The wood exhibits significant surface wear, age-related drying cracks, and checking. There is a dark, natural patina throughout. Traces of white paint or plaster splashes are present on the forward left tine of the U-shaped cutout. The piece appears structurally complete.
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