Strauss & co - 8 October 2009, Cape Town

88 192 A Cape stinkwood rusbank, circa 1800 with four-chair back, each with stepped triangular toprail above a split splat, caned seat, the arms carved with diamond motifs, on tapering square-section legs joined at the top, square and block feet, the inside of the back seat rail impressed with the date 1800, 214cm long R50 000 – 60 000 LITERATURE Michael Baraitser and Anton Obholzer, Cape Country Furniture, Struik, Cape Town, 1978, second revised edition, p 126, illus nos 423 and 424 ‘The split splat style is more widely represented. 423 shows some of the country features of these rusbanke. This example was found in the Oudtshoorn district and the history given was that it had stood on the stoep for many years and had belonged to the family for three or four generations. It is heavy, has none of the elegant proportions of a town piece, and is unusual in that it has four pairs of legs joined at the top. The small diamond carved out of the arms is unusual in Cape furniture. At the back of the rusbank the date ‘1800’has been stamped into the stinkwood in two places (424)’p 125