16th Italian Renaissance Nurse's Chair Gilt Wood

Walnut wet nurse's chair with gilded highlights, Italian Renaissance, Florence, 16th century.
During the Renaissance, wet nurses played a crucial role in breastfeeding and caring for newborns in aristocratic families, a practice that allowed the mother to maintain her physical and social status. Wet nurses were often country women, chosen for their health and ability to nurse another child, and were an essential figure within the noble family. A special chair was made for wet nurses, featuring a low, wide seat to facilitate their task and also to allow them to be placed inside large fireplaces in the winter, allowing them to fully enjoy the warmth of the fire.
Wet nurse's chairs varied according to the social standing of the family to which they belonged, ranging from simple straw-seated chairs to richly inlaid high chairs with seats upholstered in brocade and velvet.
In our case, the chair comes from an important Florentine aristocratic family, as evidenced by the rare quality of the carvings, richly gilded with gold leaf.

Very good condition.

Dimensions
Maximum height 94.5 cm
Maximum width 46 cm
Maximum depth 48 cm
Seat height 47 cm