At Last! Mystery Object Time!

We haven’t done a Mystery Object in a long while because I simply haven’t run across any suitable candidates…but I think I finally found one here in a print from Ackermann’s Repository, dated December 1815, that I recently acquired.

Aren’t they pretty? So...what are they?

Unfortunately, since this is a drawing, I can’t provide measurements or materials. But I can give you a little background information: they were usually anywhere from three to five feet tall, and could be found in most rooms of the house, particularly living spaces like sitting rooms or parlors. They were in common use for centuries, but their usefulness came to an end over the latter half of the 19th century.

Any ideas? If you think you know, post your guess in the comments section. If you know you know, post your answer also…but please, don’t post links to pictures to prove that you know. That tends to bring the guessing to a screeching halt, which isn’t much fun for anyone. No prizes—we’re doing this Mystery Object just for fun. And I promise that next week I’ll tell you all about these whatchamacallits...and maybe some other news that I've had to keep a "mystery" for a while. Have fun!