Was the Ottoman Turkish Empire really full of Furniture?

The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Turkish Empire was named so after its first ruler Osman I (from which the name Ottoman is derived) however there also exists a rather long-fashionable piece of furniture called an ‘Ottoman’, did this Ottoman really come from the Ottoman Empire?

Well . . . no -but in a way yes.


An ‘Ottoman’ is a piece of furniture consisting of a padded, upholstered seat or bench having neither back nor arms, often used as a stool or footstool, or in some cases as an improvised coffee table. Ottomans are often sold as coordinating furniture with armchairs or gliders –don’t you know.
An ottoman can also be known as a footstool, tuffet, hassock or pouffe; polite company prefers not to use the appellation ‘stool.’ Some ottomans are hollow, in which case they are, naturally, often used for storage.
The word ottoman was introduced into English in the 'footstool' sense in 1806 (probably from the identical French word, which also denotes a type of textile fabric), because the ottoman's typical use in a reclining position was associated in Europe with the Orient, in line with a fashionable Turkish style of reclining full-body chairs.