Ottoman (furniture)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An ottoman.

An ottoman is a piece of furniture consisting of a padded, upholstered seat or bench having neither back nor arms, often used as a stool or footstool, or in some cases as an improvised coffee table. Ottomans are often sold as coordinating furniture with armchairs or gliders.

An ottoman can also be known as a footstool, tuffet, hassock or pouf^[1]. Some ottomans are hollow, in which case they are often used as blanket boxes.

[edit] Word history

The word ottoman was introduced into English in the "footstool" sense in 1806^{[citation needed]} (probably from the identical French word, which also denotes a type of textile fabric), because the ottoman's typical use in a reclining position was associated in Europe with the Orient, in line with fashionable Turkish influence since the early 18th century (when the Balkans were still partially under Ottoman rule). It is not supposed to have been invented by the Ottoman Turks (compare divan).

The word ottoman as associated with the furniture used as a footstool is widely believed^{[citation needed]} to have come about in the late 18th century when Egypt, then a part of the Ottoman Empire, was invaded by the French. This invasion included physical punishment to include "pain walks" (loosely translated) - because of these walks Ottomans soon thereafter fashioned footstools to rest their tired extremities. These footstools later became widely popular in Europe and the term ottoman was coined to give tribute to the furniture's origin.