An early, rare cast-iron settee by Robert Wood of Philadelphia, marked “….Maker Ridge Road Phila”, the back with four leafy scrollwork splats, the crest rail of simple straight form, the gently sloped arms supported by scrolled complimentary botanical elements, the slatted removable seat embellished with a front floral apron comprised of a central sunflower blossom flanked by trailing rinceaux, the four legs with stylized paw feet, American (Philadelphia), ca. 1850. 42 ins. wide, 32 ins. high, 19 ins. deep overall, seat height 16 ins., seat depth 14.25 ins.

The Wood foundry operated under the name, “Robert Wood” from 1840-1858, as “Wood & Perot” from 1858 to 1866, and as “Robert Wood & Co.” from 1866 to 1879. In contemporary trade catalogs, the address is listed as “Ridge Road” during the Robert Wood years (1840-1858) and as “Ridge Avenue” beginning in 1858 when the firm was renamed Wood & Perot. Thus, we can conclude that the “Ridge Road” demarcation on the crest rail of the settee indicates that it was produced earlier than 1858.

The overall form of this settee is in line with typical park benches produced in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in the mid 19th century. However, the delicacy and sparseness of the embellishment is most aligned with those manufactured in Germany at that time. (See Georg Himmelheber’s “Cast-Iron Furniture”, especially his references to cast-iron furniture in the holdings of the Eisenkunstguss Museum in Rendsburg, Germany.)