BASIN-STAND

basin-stand, a piece of furniture consisting of a small stand, usually supported on three legs, and most commonly made of mahogany or rosewood, for holding a wash-hand basin. the smaller varieties were used for rose-water ablutions, or for the operation of hair-powdering. the larger ones, which possessed sockets for soap-dishes, were the predecessors of the ample modern wash-hand stand. both varieties, often of very elegant form, were in extensive use throughout a large part of the 18th century.