Is an ottoman a seat or a storage box?

Both, and the listings can't settle it either. Stool appears in 42 titles and seat in 20, against box in 59 and upholstered in 58. The object is the same: a padded hinged lid over a carcass. Dealers name it for whichever use they expect the buyer to have in mind.

Why are blanket boxes and trunks listed as ottomans?

The heading covers lidded chests as well as upholstered ones. Plain blanket boxes, pine trunks, mule chests and oak coffers account for about a fifth of the category. That branch is growing. It's more common in current stock than it was across the sold archive, and pine sits at the lower end of the range.

What does sarcophagus mean on an ottoman?

Tapering sides with a canted outline, taken from classical form. It shows up in eleven titles, often alongside Regency. Waisted and concave describe a related idea, sides that pull inward at the middle. Concave appears in eleven titles too, and shaped forms sit toward the top of the range.

How many antique ottomans come up for sale each year?

About 22 a year on Sellingantiques, from a pool of 86 different dealers who have listed one. That spread means almost every dealer who handles them handles one at a time, rather than a few specialists carrying stock.

Are non-British ottomans found in this category?

Rarely. The whole of it comes to a Syrian inlaid trunk, a Middle Eastern hardwood chest inlaid with mother of pearl, a French cherrywood blanket box, a Venetian painted and gilt example and a French window seat. Everything else reads as British, named by timber and period label.

What coverings turn up on the tops?

Leather leads, in 43 titles, often deep buttoned or studded. Needlework and tapestry are the next most frequent, sometimes described as original to the piece. Beyond those, the titles record kilim, gros-point, naval embroidery, patchwork tapestry, velvet, faux crocodile skin and hand-dyed leather.