Small footstools seem to have been popular among Texas Germans during the 19th century and were often used in conjunction with rocking chairs. This example features a top with serpentine curves on each side, which are echoed by the front and bottom profiles of the skirt. These features, along with its compressed cabriole legs, combine to make this an exceptionally energetic example.

Adapted from Lonn Taylor and David B. Warren. Texas Furniture: The Cabinetmakers and Their Work, 1840–1880. Vol. 1, rev. ed. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 2012.