Sold: Miniature Tête-à-Tête

Miniature doll conversation chair / wooden frame with painted fabric upholstery / c. 1860s 

The tête-à-tête settee was also known as “gossip bench” or “courting sofa.” Perhaps the most prescriptive of furniture designs, the sofa was meant to facilitate face-to-face communication between two people while keeping them physically apart. In the bourgeois Victorian parlor, the conversation chair functioned less as a practical form of seating and more a representation of ideal personal interaction governed by period standards of decorum. Here, the sofa in miniature subjects even child’s play to the rules written in tacks and faux horsehair uphostery. One can imagine the awkward contortions a girl might subject her dolls when trying to seat them in this unusual and early toy.

Very good antique condition, with minor paint loss and wear.

Measurements

12 inches long

6 inches tall

4.5 inches deep

Shipping

Free in the continental United States. If an international buyer, please contact me for a shipping estimate by clicking here.