For the home decorator with everything

UK: “I HAVE never understood why stools make so much money,” said one dealer after the seeing this late 19th century Chippendale-style pair, left, go under the hammer at Phillips Knowle sale. “They never seem to be used for anything but piling up newspapers in sitting rooms.”

The superfluity of such furnishings is, however, a clue to their extraordinary value. For even more …

Enjoy unlimited access: just £1 for 12 weeks

Subscribe now