pyty yt OAS prbretstscceegers seat “ye mote oF + meres at ai r ! sy, Be ereaseere ts ase Brwesere ise ees Fee. 3 “& redo?) trang Cel rks eeapeece .23 33: oes 333) hed ee bs Tirhact se Petatste ste tal SSeS soa) oo 3 at o ui seston ape by hye Bespatatt tek BI pt oar ee re sie, * ict ea reo res ies = ere aes Saaceereoeoe x ie atest sey otis babe) gee. ean oC ay rte aoe Si S eg vite te Esai ety ts ial oe $34 aver aia Cp Tits Bag’ uf Thr brs Shree Be ae atti ibe i Se ais i: pats cS 4 peat mteeittan sake 4 ty Pry te) fs as a tape he Hite ait herate Stee cr weaaa$ roa tres ait thy rst) ni Soar e res ates setts srt ti aft aut . THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM LIBRARY Wi Y 7 ky on Mar eer 0 7) _ a Me shiny ted * “ if } wh = aa Ma ee ya aos - in fu ; a : a ; fim Oa - eateat © ey 1 ly Pe | ae a ' * ’ A) Age ee Ys i e ve ai > ‘ i — OLD ENGLISH WALNUT c TACQUER FURNITURE b — * - «@ . + a | € ue ; all * x, * vee a . ms . 2 . : s THE PRESENT STATE OF OLD | ENGLISH FURNITURE | PLATE I prez wqorsxe = ee ° STE ee A lacquer Cabinet of Oriental workmanship mounted on English carved wood and silvered stand. Circa 1675. In the collection of Sir William Plender, G.B.E. THE PRESENT-DAY CONDITION AND VALUE AND THE METHODS OF THE FURNITURE- FAKER IN PRODUCING SPURIOUS PIECES BY R. W. SYMONDS ILLUSTRATED WITH SIXTY-FIVE EXAMPLES OF EXCEPTIONAL INTEREST TO COLLECTORS é STUDENTS, NONE OF WHICH HAS BEEN HITHERTO REPRODUCED. WITH A FOREWORD BY PERCIVAL D. GRIFFITHS NEW YORK ROBERT M. McBRIDE ® CO. 1923 ; | ie. hf ivr, > ‘ Pr < ras 7 alent f a r y 5 H ' ‘0 3 i * - P A Mis ~~ at Printed in Great | The Mayflower Press, Plymouth, William Brendon & Son, Ltd. FOREWORD O those who are interested in collecting old English furniture, this book will prove of very real assistance. As a collector, myself, I find that Mr. Symonds’ chapters open up a new vista of absorbing interest. Much has been written of the various periods when new styles were conceived and new materials introduced, and the approximate dates when these changes took place have been carefully ascertained and accurately noted. Mr. Macquoid’s History of English Furniture, published at a time when research by other authors had not carried us very far, supplied students with much interesting and valuable information. That, however, was some twenty years ago, and other writers have since added to our store of knowledge of the subject. Few, however, have endeavoured to explain the differences between the genuine piece and the forgery, or copy. Still fewer references, if indeed any, have been made to the “ condition ” in which it is desirable to find the genuine example, or when it is advisable to decline the acquisition of it altogether. Old English Walnut and Lacquer Furniture is particularly valuable in that it directs attention to these very material matters which have been little dealt with by previous writers. From the collector’s point of view they are of immense value. Of even greater value is the knowledge of how the copies, honest or fraudulent, are made ; and what Mr. Symonds tells on this subject can only have been learned as the result of infinite pains. It may be argued that all these details about spurious pieces are arming the faker for renewed activity; but some defence is necessary for the collector, and that defence Mr. Symonds supplies. Until the time comes when a fraudulent copy has all the attributes of the original [séc] it is just Vv vi OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE as well that the collector should be warned against the dangers that beset his path. The knowledge to be obtained from the pages of this book concerning design, materials, and the manner and method of construction, will materi- ally assist every collector to judge for himself and to appreciate the qualities and charm of old English furniture. It should do more by developing a discriminating taste for what is most attractive. Thus it will add tenfold to the pleasures of a very fascinating and instructive hobby. PERCIVAL D. GRIFFITHS, F.S.A. August, 1922 CONTENTS FOREWORD ! : : : : : Vv CHAPTER I. WALNUT FURNITURE, 1660-1745 . ; ils, II. QUALITY AND WORKMANSHIP ras III. Spurtous WALNUT FURNITURE . : : a 35 TV. Stuart WALNUT FURNITURE, 1660-1702 : 7; V. MARQUETRY FURNITURE, 1670-1720. : : i ts, VI. QUEEN ANNE AND GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE, 1702-1745 117 VII. Lacquer FURNITURE, 1660-1730 . : ; ; : . 147 INDEX ; é : . . : : ° ee yg PLATE II. III. IV, VI. VII. ILLUSTRATIONS A lacquer Cabinet of Oriental workmanship mounted on English carved wood and silvered stand, circa 1675. In the collection of Sir William Plender, G.B.E. e e o . ° e e e . e . Frontispiece Facing Page (a) A walnut arm-chair, circa 1660. (The turned-back stretcher is not original.) In the collection of Cecil Millar, Esq. (6) A walnut arm-chair, circa 1665. In the collection of Sir John Prestige (a) A walnut chair of unusual and elaborate design, probably of Dutch work- manship, circa 1685. In the collection of J. Thursby Pelham, Esq. (6) A tall walnut child’s chair, circa 1667. In the collection of Sir John Prestige (c) A walnut chair, circa 1675. In the collection of M. Harris, Esq. (a) A walnut chair, probably Dutch, circa 1695. In the collection of J. Thursby Pelham, Esq. (6) A beech arm-chair painted black, circa 1685. In the collection of Frank Partridge, Esq. (c) A walnut chair with finely carved splats in back and serpentine stretcher, circa 1685. In the collection of Patrick Hastings, Esq., K.C. (a) A French walnut child’s chair with upholstered seat and cane panel in back, circa 1685. (This foreign chair shows how closely the English chairs at this period were copied from the foreign models.) (6) A walnut nursing chair, circa 1670 (c) A walnut child’s arm-chair, circa 1685 (d) A walnut child’s arm-chair with upholstered back and seat, circa 1730 The above chairs are in the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (a) A walnut chair in the style of Daniel Marot, circa 1695. In the collection of M. Harris, Esq. (6) A walnut chair with curved hooped back and central splat, circa 1700. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (c) A walnut chair, circa 1685. In the collection of J. Thursby Pelham, Esq. . (a) A walnut stool with upholstered seat, circa 1680. In the collection of J. Thursby Pelham, Esq. (5) A walnut stool with upholstered seat and serpentine stretcher, circa 1690. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (c) A beech stool, painted black, with upholstered seat, circa 1680. In the collection of J. Thursby Pelham, Esq. : 1X 28 32 36 40 44 48 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE Facing Page PLATE VIII. IX. XI. XI. XIII. XIV. XV. (a)"A stand with octagonal top overlaid with walnut veneer ; stem and tripod base of pear wood, circa 1675. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (6) A walnut tripod stand with tapered stem and scroll feet, circa 1695. In the collection of Sir William Plender, G.B.E. (c) An oblong tablet with oyster shell parquetry top decorated with lines of box wood in geometrical design. ‘Turned and twisted walnut legs connected by stretchers, circa 1675. In the collection of M. Harris, Esq. (2) A walnut gate-legged table, circa 1690. In the collection of J. Thursby Pelham, Esq. (6) A walnut gate-legged table with octagonal top decorated with bands of herring-bone inlay, legs and under framing of turned baluster design, circa 1680. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. A cabinet on stand decorated with floral marquetry of various coloured woods and ivory, circa 1675. (The two centre back legs of the stand are not original.) In the collection of M. Harris, Esq. : A cabinet or wardrobe of architectural design decorated with floral marquetry of various coloured woods, circa 1680. (This piece is said to have been made for James II when Duke of York.) In the collection of M. Harris, Esq. A writing-cabinet with fall-down front, decorated with floral marquetry of coloured woods, circa 1695. (The mounts are not original.) In the collection of M. Harris, Esq. Afmirror in frame with hood, decorated with floral design marquetry in various colour and stained woods. ‘The cross-banded mouldings to the frame are of olive wood, circa 1680. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. A writing-table with folding top, decorated with seaweed marquetry in panels. The two front centre legs swing forward to support the hinged leaf of the top, circa 1695. In the collection of Sir William Plender, G.B.E. d (a)'.A long-case clock with carcase of oak veneered with ebony and decorated with panels. Eight-day striking movement by Ahasuerus Fromenteel, with bolt- and-shutter maintaining power and crown-wheel escapement with short bob pendulum. Dial, 8} ins., with silver hour circle. Height, 6 ft. 5 ins.: circa 1670. (5) A long-case clock with carcase of oak veneered with oyster-shell parquetry, inlaid with stars. Eight-day striking movement by Thomas Tompion, with bolt-and-shutter maintaining power. Dial, roins.square. Height, 6 ft. 6 ins. : circa 1675 (c) A long-case clock with carcase of oak veneered with ebony and decorated with panels. Mounts of brass, water gilt. Month movement by Joseph Knibb. The striking is on two bells, according to Roman notation. Silver skeleton hour and second circles with each minute number. Dial, 10 ins. square. Height, 6 ft. 11 ins.: civca 1695. The above clocks are in the collection of S. E. Prestige, Esq. . ‘ 52 58 62 66 72 78 84 88 PLATE XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXITI, ILLUSTRATIONS Xl Facing Page (a), A long-case clock with carcase of oak, decorated with floral marquetry of various coloured woods in panels. Month striking movement by Phillip Corderoy. Dial, 104 ins. square. Height, 7 ft. 6 ins.: circa 1685. In the collection of Sir John Prestige (b) A long-case clock with carcase of oak, decorated with arabesque marquetry Eight-day striking movement by Jeremiah Newbrough. Dial, 11 ins. square. Height, 6 ft. 10 ins.: circa 1705. In the collection of S. E. Prestige, Esq. (c) A long-case clock with carcase of oak overlaid with straight-cut walnut veneer. Eight-day striking movement by Benj. Gray and Just. Vulliamy. Dial, 12 ins. square. Height, 7-ft. 7 ins.: circa 1750. In the collection of S. E. Prestige, Esq. ‘ : ‘ (a) A walnut stool, circa 1715. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths (6) A walnut stool, circa 1735. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths (c) A circular walnut stool, circa 1695. In the collection of Sir William Pender, G.B.E. (d) An oval walnut stool, circa 1715. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths (a) A walnut barber’s chair with all four legs cabriole, and knee of front leg decorated with shell, c¢rca 1720. In the collection of Sir Wm. Plender, G.B.E. (6), A winged arm-chair with walnut cabriole legs upholstered in its original gros point needlework covering, circa 1715. (The back of this chair is made to raise and lower by means of a ratchet.) In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (a) A walnut chair with back and seat rail overlaid with burr walnut veneer and with unusual moulded seat rail and carved apron piece, circa 1725. In the collection of C. D. Rotch, Esq. (6) A walnut arm-chair, with back and seat rail overlaid with burr walnut veneer, on to which has been applied carved decoration in low relief, circa 1725. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (a) A walnut arm-chair with upholstered seat and back, covered with gros and petit point needlework, circa 1735. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (b) A walnut writing-chair upholstered with the original gros and petit point needlework covering, circa 1720. In the collection of Frank Partridge, Esq. A walnut settee with the rare feature of masks decorating the seat rail, circa 1715. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. ‘ . ‘ é A two-chair-back walnut settee. Front legs cabriole, and terminating in lion- paw feet, circa 1735. In the collection of M. Harris, Esq. . ‘ ‘ (a) A two-chair-back walnut settee. Arms terminating in eagle’s heads, circa 1715. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (5) A walnut side table with legs of unusual design, circa 1720. In the collection of M. Harris, Esq. ‘ ; : g2 96 100 104 108 112 114 118 xii OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVIT. XXVIII. XXXII. XXXITI. XXXIV Facing Page A bureau-bookcase overlaid with burr walnut veneer with the unusual feature of the doors in upper part being glazed with bevelled glass. The lower part is fitted with knee-hole and cupboard instead of the usual drawers, circa 1725. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. A narrow bureau writing-cabinet of very unusual design overlaid with burr walnut veneer, supported on short cabriole legs, ending in claw and ball feet. The carved enrichment to the cornice and pediment and the capitals of the pilasters are of limewood and gilt. The door panel is fitted with a bevelled mirror plate, circa 1735. (This piece is of exceptional quality and in very fine preservation. The carcase is made of English oak and the drawer linings are of walnut wood. This latter feature is very unusual and is but seldom found in large drawers of walnut pieces, although it will be met with in the small drawers of toilet mirrors, etc.) In the collection of Capt. W. F. Dickinson The interior of the top part and bureau of the writing-cabinet illustrated, Plate XXV. (a) A bureau overlaid with walnut veneer supported on turned legs with serpen- tine stretcher, circa 1685. In the collection of Robert Frank, Esq. (6) A bureau overlaid with burr walnut veneer supported on turned and tapered legs, circa 1710 (a) A bureau overlaid with burr walnut veneer on cabriole legs ending in club feet, circa 1735. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq (6) A walnut tripod table with legs terminating in lion-paw feet, circa 1735. In the collection of Capt. W. F. Dickinson A large walnut, double-sided, pedestal writing-table, circa 1730. In the collection of Sir John Prestige ; A bookcase veneered with walnut, circa 1725. In the collection of Sir John Prestige (a) A walnut circular-top card table, supported on turned and tapered legs connected by stretchers, circa 1700. In the collection of J. Thursby Pelham, Esq. (6) A walnut card table with the knees of cabriole legs decorated with eagle’s heads, circa 1725. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. A walnut card table with lion masks decorating knees of legs. Front of table serpentine in shape, circa 1735. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. ; : ‘ : A chest-with-drawers on stand overlaid with walnut veneer. Height, 5 ft. 9 ins., circa 1705. In the collection of Mrs. T. D. Wilson . : ; : (a) A knee-hole pedestal dressing-table overlaid with walnut veneer, circa 1735. In the collection of Patrick Hastings, Esq., K.C. (b) A dressing-table on cabriole legs terminating in claw and ball feet, circa 1730. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. 122 126 128 132 144 150 154 PLATE XXXV. XXXVI. XXXVI. XXXVIII. XXXIX. XL. ILLUSTRATIONS Xili Facing Page (a) A walnut cheval fire-screen with octagonal panel of petit point needlework with gros point border, circa 1725. In the collection of Frank Partridge, Esq. (5) A walnut tripod pole fire-screen with panel of petit point needlework, circa 1730. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (a) A knee-hole secretaire overlaid with burr walnut veneer, circa 1700. (The original bracket-feet of this piece are missing.) In the collection of C. H. F. Kinderman, Esq. (6) A knee-hole pedestal dressing-table, of Oriental workmanship, decorated with black and gold lacquer, circa 1725. (The handles of this piece are not original.) In the collection of Geoffrey D. Hobson, Esq. A cabinet decorated with English red and gold lacquer on carved wood and silvered stand, circa 1685. In the collection of Frank Partridge, Esq A bureau writing-cabinet decorated with English green and gold lacquer with bevelled mirror plates in doors surmounted by double-domed top, circa 1715. In the collection of Frank Partridge, Esq. A bureau writing-cabinet of Oriental workmanship, decorated with black and gold lacquer, circa 1730. In the collection of Sir William Plender, G.B.E. (a) A bracket clock in case, overlaid with burr walnut veneer ; movement by William Webster, Exchange Alley, London, circa 1730. In the collection of Sir John Prestige (b) A bracket clock in case, decorated with English green and gold lacquer, with musical movement by Simon de Charmes, London, circa 1725. In the collection of Sir William Plender, G.B.E. 160 162 164 166 170 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE CHAPTER I WALNUT FURNITURE 1660-1745 HE high estimation in which old English walnut furniture is held at the present time is undoubtedly due to the appre- ciation of its artistic design and form, the natural beauty of the walnut wood with its fine figure and grain, and the beautiful mellow colour and patina which it has acquired by age. It is this variety of qualities, combined with the high standard of workman- ship which prevailed throughout the walnut period, that entitles walnut furniture to be considered as the most artistic that England has produced. Another reason which accounts for the popularity of old walnut furniture to-day, is the decorative value that it has in a modern room, in addition to its being as suitable for our requirements as it was for those of our ancestors. ‘This appreciation has caused the monetary value of walnut pieces to increase considerably during the last few years, more so in fact than in the case of oak or mahogany furniture. The steady rise in value of old English furniture during the last thirty or forty years and the present tendency towards a still further increase, taken in conjunction with the fact that the quantity of existing geauine furniture cannot be increased and js certain, as time goes on, to decrease, permits one to predict that fifty years hence old English furniture will be still more valuable than it is now. ‘The value of old furniture will always depend on the demand for it, but it is not too much to assume that future generations will show an appreciation and regard for the furniture of our ancestors at least equal to that which animates the collector of to-day. B 17 1 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE As an example of the lack of regard in which walnut furniture was held one hundred years ago, there exists a record in a sale catalogue, when the furniture and contents of Wanstead House, Essex, were sold by auction in the year 1822, of a set of ten walnut chairs with two settees only realizing the sum of £13 7s. In the same sale “‘ A set of 8 solid mahogany carved frame scroll backed chairs, seats stuffed in beautiful yellow ground needle- work, on lion’s paw feet and balls,” was sold for {2 12s. 6d. From the description the walnut suite of furniture would to-day be worth at least £700 and the mahogany chairs with their needlework covers would not be considered expensive at {100 a chair. The want of appreciation at that period is not, however, surprising, when one remembers that it was the dawn of an epoch which not only utterly forgot the artistic glories of the preceding century, but was completely lacking in any artistic inspiration of its own. A notable fact in connection with walnut furniture is the quantity of it which is in existence. In nearly every small antique furniture shop throughout the country one is certain to find at least one, if not two or three, genuine pieces of walnut ; and in nearly every auction sale of antique furniture there are certain to be several examples. At the beginning of the walnut period, in the reign of Charles II, the total population of England did not exceed five and a half millions, and the walnut period during which furniture was made of this wood came to a close about 1745, having lasted, therefore, only eighty-five years. When this is realized and consideration is given to the fact that a large percentage must have been destroyed by fire, or otherwise damaged and broken up (this fate has undoubtedly accounted for hundreds of pieces during the last one hundred and fifty years) and shiploads have been exported to the United States of America within recent years, the quantity that still remains in this country is truly remarkable. Out of this comparatively large residue, however, it is, unfortunately, only a small portion that the discerning collector will wish to acquire, as a large amount of walnut furniture extant consists of parts of pieces, or pieces that have been very much restored, or have had their surfaces coated with a thick varnish, or that have been scraped and French polished. It is this last pernicious practice that accounts for the ruination of so much of the walnut furniture that is in existence to-day. French polishing destroys the mellow tone and colour of the walnut wood and the trans- lucent effect which its surface has acquired through the action of time. These qualities, so important to the informed collector of walnut furniture, compose what is called “ Patina.” Patina can only be acquired through the lapse of years, and is partly WALNUT FURNITURE 19 caused by the wood assuming a mellow tone through exposure to the air and the light, and partly due to the rubbing, dusting, and handling which the piece has received during its lifetime. To understand the alteration in the colour of walnut furniture, it must be realized that after a piece had been made, the surface was stained to give it an even tone of colour and to bring out the natural beauty of the figure of the wood, and then finished with a thin coat of transparent varnish or polish. Long exposure to the light causes the varnish to assume a tone which gives a light mellow golden colour to the wood. The light also draws out the colour of the stain which was applied to the piece when made, and turns the outer skin of the wood to a light tone. In cases where a piece has stood in the sunlight for a number of years, the colour fades to an almost grey hue; the sun’s action, besides bleaching the skin of the wood, having also perished the varnish. As an example of an effect of bleaching on a piece of walnut, it will be seen that in Plate XIV of a walnut table, the top part of the left-hand inner leg is much darker than the right-hand leg: this has been caused through the piece standing for a number of years with the top open beside a window where the right-hand leg has caught the sun, and the other leg being in the shadow, is in consequence unfaded and of a dark tone. That it is the varnish, or polish, that gives the light golden colour to pieces of walnut is amply proved by the fact that in some cases where it has worn off, the wood thus exposed is darker in tone, as compared with the other parts.* This alteration in colour through exposure to the atmosphere and light is also especially noticeable if one of the mounts of an untouched piece, such as a handle, is removed. If the handle is original, the wood behind the back-plate, having been covered up since the piece was first made, will be found to be of an entirely different tone and colour from the exposed surface of the piece. The colour of walnut pieces in their untouched state varies considerably from the golden brown colour, caused through the mellowing of the varnish, or polish, to the almost grey tone of the piece which has become faded through the action of the sun’s rays upon it. There is no doubt that this alteration of the original colour of the wood gives a beauty to the piece which it lacked when first made. When the original surface is removed from a piece by a solvent—which is a necessary process before the piece can be French polished—the very attractive golden colour and the light tone of the wood are lost and no subsequent staining and polishing will succeed in recalling them. The wood becomes darker in tone and its surface raw, with the grain open. * For an example of this see Plate XXIV of a walnut bureau bookcase where the polish has worn off at the bottoms of the doors through constant handling. 20 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE When a piece is French polished this open grain is filled up sometimes with plaster of Paris and sometimes with pumice-stone powder, until a per- fectly smooth surface has been obtained. ‘This surface then receives three or four coats of polish and is left with a smooth glass-like finish ; the figure of the wood becomes thereby obscured by the filling up of the grain and the heavy coatings of coloured polish, giving the piece a dark muddy appearance very far removed from the untouched example with its original golden colour. The French polish sinks into the surface of the wood and cannot be removed except by very drastic methods, whereas the old varnish, or polish, remains on the surface of the piece and can be scratched off. The lighter, or bleached, pieces of walnut are now the most highly prized owing to their greater decorative value, which is especially enhanced by the figure and grain of the wood being more distinct than in the darker examples. In addition to the change in the colour of the wood, the rubbing, dusting and handling that the surface of a piece has received since it was made, constitute a factor in the creation of its patina. This rubbing and dusting give to the surface of the wood a high gloss, very different from the artificial shine that is the result of French polish; this gloss is the polishing of the varnish which, however, is so thinly applied that it 1s barely perceptible. Another feature which belongs to pieces possessing patina and adds to their decorative value is the richness of tone given to the carving by the formation of a dark deposit, caused by the accumulation of dust and dirt, - combined with the beeswax or oil which has been applied to the piece from time to time for the purpose of domestic cleaning. For example, dust and dirt settling on the carved back of a Charles II chair, adhere to the beeswax which, on the less exposed surfaces of the carving, will not have been entirely removed by dusting. In course of time this beeswax gradually becomes hard and, darkened in tone by dust, acts as a foil to the raised parts which are light in tone in comparison, for, owing to their relief, they will have been rubbed clean by the duster. The accidental effect of light and shade thus formed is a very attractive feature in carved walnut pieces, and is also noticeable in a lesser degree on the mouldings of plain pieces, such as a bureau-bookcase. The importance to the collector of only buying pieces with good patina cannot be exaggerated, and if he confines his purchase to examples which have this desirable attribute not only will he be secure in the knowledge that his furniture possesses the additional beauty that patina confers, but that it is unquestionably genuine. Naturally, if he studies design only, his choice of a piece will not be WALNUT FURNITURE 21 affected if it is French polished ; or, if fine workmanship be his standard of excellence, the absence of good surface condition will not weigh with him. But colour has an artistic value, as well as form and finish, and when a piece has had the mellow tone of age altered to a dark muddy colour, the change must be detrimental to its artistic value; that it is detrimental to its commercial value is amply proved by the fact that the present-day value of walnut pieces is largely influenced by the excellence, or otherwise, of their patina. Although by confining himself to buying pieces in their original state the collector considerably reduces his range of purchase, yet he will have the satisfaction of knowing that this self-imposed limitation is supported by sound artistic and commercial principles. The high appreciation of patina is not due to faddism. It is true that the question of rarity arises in connection with it, because it is the quality most rarely found in walnut furniture, but, far transcending the importance of “ rarity,” recognition must be given to the inherent power it possesses of investing the whole of a piece of furniture with an indefinable beauty peculiar to itself and inimitable. Its appreciation, therefore, is not a matter of preciosity but of good taste, insight and fidelity to what is artistically true. The walnut furniture extant shows a large quantity of certain types of articles and a great scarcity of others. The scarcity of some articles is due, undoubtedly, to their having been destroyed through their fragile construction being unable to withstand the vicissitudes of time; such, for example, are the stands for cabinets and chests. There are many chests and cabinets extant, but very few stands that supported them, as their delicate legs have been broken in the course of time and it is only the cabinet or chest that has survived. The large quantity of chairs that exist from the period of Charles II is especially noticeable, as also is the number of bureaux and bureau-bookcases from the latter half of the walnut period. Other examples that exist in large numbers to-day are such pieces as chests- with-drawers, tallboys and small pedestal dressing-tables and the small dressing-table on legs, all of which can be classified as bedroom furniture. Another type of article which has come down to us in large numbers is the long-case walnut clock. On the other hand, the scarcity of walnut tables, bookcases and china cabinets throughout the whole period is very noticeable. | The varying scarcity and abundance of different pieces of walnut furniture is to some extent compensated for by the fact that where there is a paucity of one particular type of piece in walnut, there is a corresponding abundance of the similar piece in either oak or mahogany ; and conversely 22 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE where there is an abundance in walnut there is a scarcity in oak or mahogany. As an example of this, there is a comparatively large number of oak gate- legged tables of the late seventeenth century, and a negligible quantity in walnut ; again, later in the period, there is a large quantity of mahogany side-tables and oval-top dining-tables, but a contemporary example in walnut is of extreme rarity. The great quantity of walnut bedroom furniture, such as has already been specified, may be contrasted with the absence of contemporary mahogany examples ; and similarly it is also very noticeable as regards long-case clocks, bureaux and bureau-bookcases. From this it would appear that houses were furnished with oak and walnut furniture from 1660—the beginning of the walnut period—up to the introduction of mahogany furniture about 1720, and from 1720-1745 with walnut and mahogany furniture. This would, of course, only refer to houses of the well-to-do, as the poorer classes throughout the walnut period used furniture made of oak, or fruit-wood, which is proved by the number of contemporary examples that have survived in these woods of a similar design to those in walnut. It is difficult to offer an explanation for the reason that the cabinet- makers of the walnut period made certain articles only in oak and mahogany and not in walnut. Why such furniture as chests-with-drawers, tallboys, bureaux, bureau-bookcases, dressing-tables, and long-case clocks was made in walnut and not in mahogany is perhaps due to the fact that, when mahogany was first introduced, the cabinet-makers only used a variety which, although a splendid medium for carving, had but little figure or grain. They there- fore employed this mahogany, which lacked the natural decorative feature possessed by walnut, for those pieces they intended to decorate with carving ; and continued to use walnut for the plain pieces which would have been too monotonous in appearance if made in the unfigured mahogany. This is amply borne out by those plain pieces of this period that are met with to-day made in mahogany; being uninteresting and plain-looking, they can in no way compare in decorative value with the walnut examples. The cabinet-makers continued to make these plain pieces in walnut until they began to use Cuban mahogany, which had a fine figure and grain, and so combined the qualities of the two woods. A fact that helps to prove the truth of this theory is that furniture began to be made in fine-figured mahogany about 1745, after which date walnut practically ceased to be used for furniture making. The abundance and scarcity of different pieces of walnut furniture naturally influences their monetary value to-day, the prevalence of some articles and the rarity of others being reflected in their respective costs; the value of a bureau, which is a comparatively common piece, WALNUT FURNITURE 23 being considerably less than that of a walnut table, which is a far rarer article. As a general rule it will be noticed that the cabinet-makers of the walnut period did not vary, to any great extent, the shape and form of their furniture ; when, therefore, a piece is discovered, which, because of some elaboration or unusual feature, differs from the pattern usually found, its value will be correspondingly high. In addition to following a similarity in design, the cabinet-makers more or less standardized their measurements, which is the reason why such pieces as bureaux, bureau-bookcases and chest-with-drawers are generally found to-day about 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches in width. They also, however, made these pieces measuring from about 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches in width, and these narrower examples are more sought after, partly because of their rarity, but also on account of the greater convenience they afford for modern requirements in small rooms. Judging from examples that have survived, certain pieces appear to have been made only in small sizes. Examples of these are the small pedestal dressing-table, the dressing-table on legs and the rare small writing bureau on stand. It is difficult to say why the cabinet-makers did not make large examples of these pieces, especially of the dressing-table, which it is reason- able to suppose would have been more useful in the larger size. Another feature which has an important influence upon the value of walnut furniture, in addition to patina, design and size, is the quality of a piece. ‘This varies considerably, showing that just as there are pieces to-day i modern furniture varying to suit the purse of the purchaser, so there were in the walnut age. The details of this variation in quality will be more fully dealt with in the next chapter. This question of gauging the quality of a piece is an important one to the collector, and an examination in this respect should always be made with a view to arriving at a correct estimate of its value. The question of “original” quality is quite independent of “patina,” as, naturally, the two have no connection with each other, the one being given to a piece when made, the other acquired by it through age. To find both in a piece is very desirable, but, unfortunately, rare, and generally it is the latter that is lacking. Of the two the absence of patina is the more to be deplored, inferior quality being less detrimental to the appearance of a piece than the destruction of its patina. Another point in connection with walnut furniture that is important to the collector is whether a piece is English or foreign. Walnut furniture was not made in England alone, as in Holland, France, Spain, and Italy, furniture was being made from this wood contemporaneously with the walnut period in England. The English were the last to adopt the use of 24 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE walnut wood for their furniture, and, as will be seen, its introduction into this country was due to the English arts and crafts in the time of Charles II being strongly influenced by foreign tastes. The fact, therefore, that English walnut furniture was copied and adapted, both as regards its design and the manner in which it was made, from the furniture of foreign countries, gives it a similarity in appearance to foreign examples. ‘The walnut furniture of English origin has a far higher value in England to-day than the majority of the contemporary foreign pieces, and this difference in some cases is so marked that it makes the question of the provenience of a piece one that requires serious consideration on the part of the collector, as he is likely to meet with a large quantity of foreign walnut furniture in this country which has been imported within recent years to meet the demand for English walnut. ‘The collector, therefore, who intends to rely on his own judgment when he purchases a piece should make himself acquainted with the difference in design and execution between English furniture and the contemporary furniture of foreign origin. As will be shown in the succeeding chapters, there is a great similarity between the English and Dutch examples belonging to the first half of the walnut period. In the last half the similarity is not so marked, as designers and makers of English furniture gradually freed themselves from foreign influence and began to evolve an individual style of their own. The differ- ence in value between the later examples of Dutch and English furniture is greater than it is between the earlier. Compared with the Dutch, the contemporary Spanish and Italian furniture does not bear so close a resemblance to the English, and, there- fore, is less dangerous to the collector. The same remark applies, also, to the contemporary French walnut furniture, with the exception of some chairs and stools which bear a strong resemblance to the English examples of the period of William and Mary. Such French pieces, however, are but seldom met with in this country, and are in most cases as valuable as the English examples. In the succeeding chapters reference will be made to the way the furniture designers and cabinet-makers in England followed and adapted the designs of the Dutch furniture, and also, though in a lesser degree, those of the French. The varying differences in construction and work- manship between the English and Dutch cabinet work is also mentioned. If Dutch and English examples are studied and examined on the lines indicated, the collector will soon acquire a knowledge of, and a familiarity with, the details in design and construction which are characteristic of the furniture of each country, so that recognition of a foreign example will not be difficult. CHAPTER II QUALITY AND WORKMANSHIP HE construction and workmanship of walnut furniture from the beginning of the walnut period to the reign of Queen Anne was strongly influenced by the Dutch. This was due to the commercial intercourse between Holland and England, and the revival of the arts in this country after the Restoration, which stimulated the importation of Dutch furniture and the migration of a number of Dutch craftsmen to these shores. This influx of Dutch ideas and craftsmen considerably increased when William III became king, in fact, during his reign the palaces at Hampton Court and Kensington, and the houses of the nobility, were furnished and decorated in an Anglo- Dutch style. At this period the craft of furniture making in England was undoubtedly, to a large extent, in the hands of Dutchmen, who were highly gifted as designers and cabinet-makers. One of the few surviving records of a cabinet-maker in the late seventeenth century mentions Gerreit Johnson, a Dutchman, who must have been one of the leading cabinet-makers in England, as he supplied several china cabinets to Queen Mary for her china closet at Hampton Court. The celebrated Grinling Gibbon, whose natural- istic wood-carving was so beautiful a feature of the oak panelled rooms of this period, was also of Dutch origin. It is a notable fact, however, that English walnut furniture still retained an insular character, even though made by Dutch craftsmen in the Dutch manner, and in a style derived from foreign influences and made, in some cases, out of imported material. These Dutch immigrants, although they employed their own methods of construction and workmanship, invariably adapted the design of the furniture they produced to suit the taste and needs of the English market. By the reign of Queen Anne the workmanship had become more refined and not so Dutch in character as in the first half of the walnut age. This improvement in the quality of workmanship continued until the end of the period, in proportion as the Dutch influence gradually declined. An example of this is seen in the manner of dovetailing in drawers of 25 26 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE furniture of about 1680, which is so like that of the contemporary Dutch furniture that it would be impossible to determine the provenience of a piece from this feature alone. By 1715 the English form of dovetailing had not only altered in construction,* but had become much finer than the contemporary Dutch, which still retained its original roughness of finish. The same peculiarity is also noticeable between the quality of early Dutch and English marquetry and the late marquetry of the two countries. The introduction of Dutch methods of construction and Dutch work- manship in making English furniture is, at this period, distinctly marked by the use of “‘ veneer,” as previously all furniture in England had been made out of the solid wood. In the making of veneered furniture a carcase was first constructed of deal or oak and a layer of walnut (cut to about re to $ of an inch in thickness) was then glued on to the surface. By this means the decorative value of the natural beauty of the figure of the wood was best obtained, the veneer being carefully arranged so that its figure formed a symmetrical pattern. To do this four pieces of veneer were cut in successive layers from the same piece of wood, so that each piece would have identically the same markings. The four were then laid together so that the markings joined and formed a symmetrical pattern. To cover a table-top, for instance, each of the four pieces would form a quarter of the whole top and, the markings being identical in each, a symmetrical pattern would thus be obtained. The cutting and laying of the veneer in this manner is termed “ quartering.”’ The way in which the “ veneer’ was cut from the tree also gave a variation to the figure; for instance, if it were cut lengthways from the trunk it would show the grain running along the surface, whereas if the veneer were cut across the root of the tree, the figure would be far more finely marked and have a mottled appearance. Walnut cut in this latter manner is called “‘ burr walnut.” Another method of obtaining a variation of the figure, which was much in vogue during the first half of the walnut period, was by cutting the veneer transversely at an oblique angle from the smaller branches of the tree, which produced an oval figure, and from its resemblance to the shell of an oyster is termed ‘“‘ oyster-shell veneer.” Each piece of veneer was skilfully cut to fit the adjoining pieces before they were glued to the carcase, and they were so arranged that the sections of the wood formed a pattern. A very favourite method of still further enhancing the appearance of this veneer was to inlay into its surface, after it had been glued on to the carcase, lines of holly or boxwood in a geometrical pattern. Cabinets, clock-cases, chests-with-drawers and the tops of tables * See page 30. b] QUALITY & WORKMANSHIP 27 will all be found decorated with this oyster-shell parquetry, and it was specially suitable for the flat stretchers of tables and stands owing to the small marking of the figure. Examples with oyster-shell parquetry are naturally of a higher value than those decorated with the straight-cut veneer from the trunk. Laburnum was the wood most often selected for this particular treatment, having the best figure for the purpose ; walnut was not so suitable, the markings in the smaller branches not being sufficiently pronounced. Olive wood parquetry was sometimes used, and is generally met with on cabinet doors and on clock-cases ; while two other woods occasionally employed in this manner were coromandel and king wood. Lignum-vite was also made use of, but not often, owing to its dark colour. Besides the careful arrangement of the figure, the surfaces of a piece, such as the top of a table or the door of a cabinet, were bordered by an edging of cross-banded veneer. This border, or edging, has the grain of the wood running across the width and not along the length. Inside this border, and dividing it from the central panel of veneer, a small band of herring-bone or feather inlay made of narrow strips of veneer cut on a slant is invariably found. These strips were laid side by side, so that the grain met in the middle at a right angle. This herring-bone or feather inlay was a much favoured type of decoration for walnut pieces, in fact it may be said that but few pieces of veneered walnut are ever found without it. It was invariably used on drawer fronts, sometimes in conjunction with, but more often without, the cross-banded edging described above. On the earlier pieces this inlay was wider than on the later. After the carcase of the piece had been veneered the necessary mould- ings were then applied. The mouldings were formed by glueing a narrow strip of cross-cut walnut on to a foundation of deal, the surface of the walnut being then worked to the required section. All these mouldings were cross-cut, that is to say, they had the grain running across the width and not along the length. Sometimes the furniture of the walnut period, especially chairs, stools, settees, and mirror frames, had the mouldings and carving enriched with gilding. (For an example of a piece with the carved enrichment gilded see Plate XXV.) This was more often the case in the reign of Queen Anne and subsequently, but even then its use was reserved for the more expensive pieces, and but few genuine examples exist. Occasionally the backs and legs of chairs and settees were decorated with an ornamental panel of gilt gesso. This feature was carved out of a thin coating of plaster in very low relief and then gilt, but very few examples of walnut furniture enriched in this manner are known, 28 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURN PLATE II (6) A walnut arm-chair, circa 1665. In the collection (a) A walnut arm-chair, circa 1660. ia turned-back st original.) In the collection of Cecil Millar, Esq. LP eh ge Lon PLATE II re mere. QUALITY & WORKMANSHIP 29 although the combination is not so scarce where walnut mirrors ‘are concerned. The gilding of this period was of the finest quality, and when new must have been bright and glaring. Time, however, has deprived it of some of its brilliance, and to-day, when found in conjunction with the walnut, both mellowed and patinated, the effect is the very reverse of garish, the subdued tone of the gilding being in perfect harmony with the walnut wood, and adding considerably to the beauty and value of the piece. The way the present-day value of walnut furniture is affected by its quality has already been commented upon, and pieces can be divided into three classes according to the degree of quality that they possess. The first consists of costly pieces of superlative merit and of elaborate design made for the nobility, in which the finest workmanship and material have been employed throughout. In the second, representing the more ordinary type of furniture made for the well-to-do, the workmanship is of a high standard, but more restraint is shown in design and ornamentation. The third comprises pieces of poor and coarse workmanship made in an altogether cheaper manner from inferior materials and at much less cost. The quality of a walnut piece is determined to a large extent by the marking and figure of the veneer. In a piece of high quality burr walnut or another type of finely figured walnut was used on the drawer fronts or door panels, a less figured veneer being employed for the sides, which were not so conspicuous or important as the front of the piece. In an example of inferior quality the front was treated with plain veneer cut from the trunk of the tree, which cost considerably less than the finely marked variety, and the sides in some cases were formed by the deal carcase stained to resemble walnut. In such a piece attention was not paid to the arrange- ment of the figure to obtain a symmetrical design, and the decorative value of the piece suffered accordingly. Drawer linings of deal instead of oak are another feature which denotes a piece of poor quality. Sometimes the front of the drawer is made of deal with the sides, back and bottom of oak; pieces with drawers made in this manner are not of such good quality as those which have their drawers lined entirely in oak. A further mark of good quality is when the sides of the drawers have their top edges carefully rounded off; on an inferior piece they are either left square or with the sharp edges roughly removed. In appraising the quality of a piece the amount of oak used in the construction of the carcase should always be noted. Oak was a better foundation for veneer than a soft wood such as deal, but it was more expen- sive, and therefore was sparingly employed, if at all, on cheaper grade pieces. As an example of this, the interiors of good quality bookcases and cabinets 30 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE where the carcase can be seen will be made of oak, but where the carcase is not visible, as in the case of the bottom part of a bureau-bookcase, which is hidden by the drawers, it will generally be found made of deal. In a piece of inferior quality the exposed parts of the carcase are made of deal as well as the unseen parts. The drawers of walnut furniture are nearly always found constructed so that the grain of the wood of the drawer bottoms runs from front to back ; when the grain runs from side to side it shows that the piece must have been made about the middle of the eighteenth century or later, when drawers were first constructed in this manner. In the early walnut furniture of the time of Charles II the drawer bottoms were nailed to the bottom edges of the drawer sides, and the drawers had no runners,* but from the time of William and Mary onwards, the bottoms were let into rabbets cut in the bottom edges of the sides, and then strips of wood were glued on to the bottom drawer to act as runners, see Diagram 1. Many walnut pieces of this later time will also be found with the drawer bottoms and runners fixed to the bottom edges of the sides without the rabbets, but this method of construction denotes inferior workmanship, as it was both quicker and | easier to fix the bottom in this manner than to PIAGRAM 1 cut the rabbets in the sides. Tvenicp bee f The drawers of the furniture of the period of our boffom let info Charles II had the dovetails carried through to tabbef indrawer side . the face of the drawer front, and the dovetailing was coarse, there being only about three tails in the depth of the drawer (see Diagram 2)f ; but in the drawers from the reign of William and Mary onwards the dovetails were not carried through in this manner, being stopped about 4 inch from the face (see Diagram 3). Dovetailing of the latter type became finer as the eighteenth century advanced, the tails being increased in number and made narrower. ‘The date of a piece can be roughly gauged by the dovetailing of the drawers. In English walnut pieces * The construction of the drawers without runners is typical of oak furniture from Eliza- beth to Cromwell, in which the drawer was carried on bearers or runners, fixed to the carcase, which slid in grooves cut in the drawer sides. The early type of drawer with this form of runner is sometimes found on walnut pieces of country make, but it is more typical of oak than walnut furniture, as this method was discarded in the best furniture from the time of Charles II, and thereafter was only followed by country cabinet-makers. + Many pieces dating from the early part of the eighteenth century will be found with the drawers dovetailed in this earlier manner, such pieces being the work of country cabinet- makers. This earlier dovetailing will also be found on Dutch pieces, as it was a form of dovetail favoured by the Dutch long after it had been discarded by the English. QUALITY © WORKMANSHIP 31 the drawers were always dovetailed and never nailed; a piece with the drawers nailed together is indicated as a Dutch example. The variation in the design of the mouldings or beads on or around the drawer fronts is a rough indication of the date of the construction of those walnut pieces that™were fitted with drawers. The accompanying SSS Bs iy TT} HH] SS \4 NS \ SAAS DIAGRAM 3. DIAGRAM 2. Farlyformof dovetail ing Later form of dovetailing found in Charfes I and found on English walnut James lwalnut fumiture. furnilure dating from fhe reign Williams Mary ondords Diagrams, 4, 5, 6, 7, show the different mouldings and their dates. These dates, however, are only very approximate, especially as regards oak or fruit-wood furniture of country make, as the smaller country cabinet-makers in many cases continued to use methods and styles after their contemporaries in the larger towns had adopted fresh ideas. Besides this veneered furniture, the making of which started in the 32 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNT PU t PuLaTE ITI ; (6) A tall walnut child’s yee circa 1667. In the collection Prestige. a | (a) A walnut chair of unusual and elaborate design, | : | workmanship, circa 1685. In the ee } Ae eee PACH NI HIS, VAG QUALITY & WORKMANSHIP 33 first decade of the reign of Charles IJ, articles such as chairs, stools, and couches were made in solid walnut. These articles were decorated with Carving and turning, and their production commenced just before the Restoration and continued up to the beginning of Queen Anne’s reign. After this date the backs of chairs, instead of being carved, were Yj ] HSN SSO OMOMNI OY QA Lp SEZ ZZZ ee A SS, SW oe / - . - > = > ae 4. Half round beading on carease round drawer fronf. Circa 1660 fo 1705. iN = LALO as ’ Se Ne y me om AN a i \ Soil 4 te te ek 5 SCE a im - yh a ni 7 fie ay ie ve ‘ mS ¢ RNITUR ne aes ’ 58 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FU _ PLaTE IX | ; | : (a) A walnut gate-legged table, circa 1690. In the collection of J. Thursby Pelham, Esq. so SG ee (0) A walnut | gate-legged table with octagonal top, decorated w t of herring-bone inlay, legs and under-framing of turned — design, circa 1680. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, " % a) a rh eo > s * oe ' 426 a. 4 f PLATE 1X Pe yg, ay * ee STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 59 Included amongst the quantity of Elizabethan furniture that has sur- vived are a few pieces made in walnut wood, and as these examples do not vary, either in design, treatment, or workmanship, from their contemporary prototypes in oak, and bear, also, the same English individuality, they may, without doubt, be properly designated as of English manufacture. These examples, owing to the scarcity of walnut wood in England, may have been made from foreign walnut, especially in view of the fact that foreign oak was being imported at this period for the wainscotting in the best houses, English oak being much coarser in grain and more difficult to work than the Continental varieties. ‘This certainly is true of several of these rare pieces of walnut, the wood being foreign and not English. These walnut examples are, however, so few in number compared with the large number of far more important examples in oak, that they form no criterion for the assumption that English walnut furniture was made in Elizabeth’s reign to the extent that has been suggested. For the enumeration of so much walnut furniture in certain late six- teenth-century inventories we shall find a valid explanation in the swarms of foreign craftsmen brought over by Henry VII and Henry VIII from France, Italy, Burgundy and Flanders to erect the new royal palaces of Sheen, Molesey and Nonsuch; and in their subsequent employment on the new palatial homes built by the Tudor nobles in emulation of their royal masters. The employment of foreign craftsmen was prevalent during the sixteenth century, and even as late as the first decade of the seventeenth century we find that Janivere, a French or Flemish woodworker, was making the wainscotting, chimneypieces, and other elaborate woodwork for Hatfield House. This and similar woodwork which has survived in a number of other contemporary houses in England, is distinctly foreign in character as regards its design and execution, the carving being of a very high quality and markedly superior to any contemporary English work. It is improbable, therefore, that the English noble, who went to the length of employing and bringing over foreign workmen, to carry out the elaborate structural decorations of his house, would be content to entrust to the native craftsman the making of the more important furniture for its adorn- ment. The present-day scarcity of English walnut furniture of the late sixteenth century, and the fact that these Elizabethan inventories relate to houses for the building of which foreign craftsmen are definitely known to have been employed, points to the conclusion that the walnut furniture in such houses was either the work of alien hands in this country, or that it was imported from abroad. That practically nothing now remains of this supposed wealth of English Elizabethan walnut furniture is hardly to be explained by the 60 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE suggestion that walnut wood is more perishable than oak, in view of the quantity of contemporary French and Flemish walnut furniture extant. Probably more of it exists than is suspected, but it is now recognized as of foreign make and classified accordingly. Of such examples, known by existing records to have been made in this country, may be cited the pieces at Hardwick Hall, which are French in design and execution, and can be attributed to the foreign craftsmen employed by Bess of Hardwick on the various houses erected by her. It is significant that if walnut wood was ever adopted by the English cabinet-maker for furniture in the late sixteenth century, as is contended, it had but a fugitive vogue with no continuing tradition, its use dying out completely for the greater part of the seventeenth century, from the early years of James I to the Restoration, and that this cessation in its use co- incided with the rise of English architects and craftsmen, and the consequent disappearance of the imported foreign workmen. It cannot, therefore, be con- sidered inaccurate to assign the beginning of the English walnut period to 1660. The return of Charles II after the Commonwealth Interregnum meant not only the restoration of the Monarchy, but of the art life of the people. It must be remembered that the ordered progression by which the fashionable taste in furniture had spread from the Court, who were arbiters of taste and dispensers of fashion, down, through the nobility, to the houses of the middle and lower classes, was broken by the Civil War and the suppression of the Monarchy which had sent both the king and his followers into exile. During their involuntary sojourn abroad they had ample opportunity to appreciate the higher scale of domestic taste and comfort that they found on the Continent, and they returned with new ideas and standards of luxury for the refurnishing of their old homes. The change in English furniture brought about by this new incursion of foreign ideas was revolu- tionary, altering the material of which it was made from oak to walnut, breaking the continuity of the design and, as already described, affecting the methods of its construction. The two important foreign influences that brought about this change were those of the Dutch and the French. Of these the stronger was that of the Dutch, to whom the English craftsman, lacking a creative power of his own, had generally turned for inspiration, not only during the Eliza- bethan period, as has been seen, but also in the time of the Commonwealth, when the plain and simple lines of the furniture were adapted from con- temporary Dutch examples. The new vogue in furniture was fostered by the growth of luxury among the upper classes, who copied the costly fashions of the Court; so that early in the walnut period upholstered furniture, hitherto confined STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 61 to the homes of the great nobles, had made an appearance in the houses of the well-to-do. The furniture of the middle and lower classes continued to be made in oak or fruit-wood, but its design gradually became affected by the new dispensation, so that at the beginning of the eighteenth century the oak furniture of even the provincial districts was following the lines of the walnut. The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, by Louis XIV, in 1685, and the consequent exodus of the Huguenots from France to the neighbouring countries of England, Holland and Germany, also, indirectly, left its im- print on the design of English furniture. Many of these French immigrants were craftsmen, architects, designers and artists, and their art, imbued with the traditions of the School of design of Louis-Quatorze, was of so distinct a character that it was termed in these countries of refuge, “‘ le style refugié.” The accession of William and Mary to the English throne gave a fresh impetus to the Dutch influence, for the new king was not only a Dutchman by birth, but always maintained his predilection for the men and Arts of his native country. A foreigner at his accession, he remained one until his death. He had cold and repellent manners, combined with a gift of silence in the seven languages of which he was master ; but his more human instincts seemed to have found expression in a delight for the arts of architecture and decoration, of which he left concrete evidence in additions to Hampton Court Palace, and in the new palace that he built at Kensington. For these notable works he employed Sir Christopher Wren as architect, but the in- terior decoration and furnishing were mainly entrusted to one, Daniel Marot. Marot came of a family of French artists and craftsmen. Born about the middle of the seventeenth century, he was a pupil of Le Pautre, one of the originators of the Louis-Quatorze School of design. A Protestant, he took refuge in Holland in 1685, and entered the service of William of Orange, accompanying his Royal Master to England on the latter’s acces- sion to the English throne four years later. He was one of the chief exponents of “‘ /e style refugié,” and, although his work was strongly reminis- cent of the French style, it was modified by the Dutch environment in the early years of his involuntary exile. William III made Marot his Minister of Works, in which position his talents were mainly devoted to designing the interiors of rooms, which would include the chimneypieces, wainscotting, furniture and hangings. He also turned his attention to iron-work, gold and silver plate and garden architecture. His principal work in England was confined to that on which he was employed by the King, but it is more than probable that he received commissions from other wealthy clients for the decoration and furnishing 62 “eae ei ot ae Te ae sa ‘ ‘ we . _ bas hd Ae . E < * OF b ; " ti so ria ra PLATE X A cabinet on stand decorated with floral marquetry of vaio woods and ivory, circa 1675. (The two centre back legs of th not original.) In the collection of M. Harris, ra ROE > | "crs ies dae _ r, ae i , . Ps Ss “-? ae a b ee # yn ¥ me ‘ ~ € ‘* Tw. 2 > = . a Oa . 2. s 7 > . a a ve te f we ‘amt oe X ce a : om ie OM Ae, so x a ¢ , : CM a fe es Ly + te : Wie ca ; sy HRMS, a , hy? 1S Be onl ' ; . 2 > A es STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 63 of their houses, and that he became the dictator and leader of fashionable taste during William’s reign. Little of the furniture actually designed by Marot now remains, apart from the beds, mirrors and a few remaining stools and chairs at Hampton Court Palace; but his influence on the design of English furniture of the William and Mary period and later is distinctly traceable in many of the pieces that have come down to us. The fusion of the Louis-Quatorze and Dutch styles, that we owe to Marot, endowed such English pieces with a richness of design and decorative value, that, despite their foreign feeling, give them a distinctive character. Under separate headings, the various articles of Stuart walnut furniture up to the end of the reign of William III are dealt with, in order to familiarize the collector with the genuine types he is likely to meet with to-day. As already mentioned walnut tables are rare, but chairs of this half of the walnut period have survived in greater number than any other article of furniture ; and there are many examples of such articles as cabinets and chest-with-drawers, but these are mostly in marquetry, or decorated with oyster-shell parquetry. In fact, most of the veneered furniture sur- viving from this first half of the period is decorated in either of these two methods, and the plain walnut examples belong mainly to the second half, which is treated in Chapter VI, to which the reader is also referred for particulars of articles first made in this early part of the period, but of which examples are more generally found, to-day, dating from-1700 onwards. As marquetry furniture is dealt with separately in Chapter V, the marquetry examples of the first half of the period are only briefly mentioned in the following notes. Cuairs, STOOLS, DAYBEDS AND COUCHES The chairs provide the earliest examples of walnut furniture, both in regard to the use of wood, and also the transition in design from the simple Cromwellian furniture to the more elaborate and decorative style of the reign of Charles II, From surviving examples it has been possible to trace a gradual evolution and unbroken continuity of design from the decade preceding the Restoration until the death of William III, and to follow various changes in form and detail as new motives were first introduced. By these transitional steps the typical features at various dates can be roughly classified as in the table given on the next page ; but it must be remem- bered that, with the great variety of detail, typical features of two or three different dates may be found on one chair, in which case its approxi- mate date will be that of the latest feature. 64 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE TABLE SHOWING CHANGES IN DESIGN OF CHAIRS FROM 1650-1700 Approx. date of introduction (1) 1650-60. Low oblong back ; spiral-twist rails, legs and stretchers. Similar in form to the “ Cromwellian”’ chairs. ‘The ball turning, typical of the latter, often found com- bined with the spiral-twist turning typical of the Carolean period. This type of chair is sometimes in walnut, but more often in beech or oak. (2) 1660. Spiral-twist rails, legs and stretchers. Coarse cane panel in seat and back. Back higher and squarer in shape, see Plate II (a). (3) 1663. Similar chair to (2), but cresting to back deeper and decorated with rosettes and foliage, and sometimes with crown. | (4) 1665. Similar to (3), but with carved front stretcher, generally similar to design of cresting, instead of spiral-twist stretcher, see Plate II (8). (5) 1667. Similar chair to (4), but with cresting of back and front stretcher decorated with amorini, supporting a crown. Side-rails to the cane panel in back decorated with carving, see Plate IJ] (bd). The carving in this type more finished, in higher relief and pierced. (6) 1670. Front legs have become scrolled, and the cresting of back, front stretcher and side-rails to cane panel decorated with “‘ S ” shaped scrolls. (7) 1670. Legs, stretchers and rails of turned baluster design in place of former spiral-twist, see Plate III (c). (8) 1675. Chairs with upholstered backs and seats having scroll legs and “‘S ”’ shaped scrolls to front stretcher. Back of chair made higher. Sometimes these chairs were made with padded wings to the back, being the fore- runner of the winged arm-chair. (9) 1675. Chair with upholstered seat, but back decorated with carved wooden splats instead of cane panel. Chairs also made of beech, painted black. (10) 1685. Chair with elaborately carved and pierced wooden back, upholstered seat on turned cupped legs connected by serpentine stretchers centred by a turned finial, see Plate IV (c). Typical Features STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 65 le a ed : Typical Features (11) 1685. Chair with cresting to back supported on top of the uprights instead of between them. Back of chair made narrower. This type of chair found with back and seat filled with fine-mesh panels of cane (Plate IV (5) ), and also with carved splat back and up- holstered seat similar to (10). i242 169%. Chair after the style of Daniel Marot, cabriole front legs, connected by stretchers and ending in scroll feet. Fine-mesh caning in back; upholstered seat, see Plate VI (a). (13) 1700. Chair with curved or fiddle-shaped back having one centre splat carved and pierced. Cabriole front legs connected by stretchers and ending in scroll feet or pied-de-biche, see Plate VI (6). The changes of design indicated in the above table apply not only to the chairs and daybeds, but also to the underframing and legs of stools and couches, and cover the general run of all these articles at the approxi- mate dates given. The chairs, originally, were made in sets comprising, probably, two arm-chairs and six or twelve single chairs, as a far larger number of the latter are found to-day. Arm-chairs must also have been made in sets of six Or more, as several of such sets have survived. Single chairs are met with in pairs, but more frequently as solitary examples; and the arm-chairs are nearly always found singly, to meet with two or more of the same design being very unusual. From the quantity of chairs existing which have spiral-twist rails, and stretchers decorated with amorini supporting a crown, they would appear to have been made in large numbers. Of the other varieties, those with upholstered backs and seats, or with carved splats in the backs and upholstered seats, are both rarer to-day than the earlier examples with cane panels. ‘The most valuable chairs, however, are those with the elaborately carved backs, and those in the style of Daniel Marot. An arm-chair in the Marot taste is a great rarity, in fact, judging from its present scarcity, it could have been but seldom made. Pairs of the single chair are not uncommon, and sets of four or six are sometimes met with, but these sets are undoubtedly relics of larger sets extending to a dozen or more. To add to the comfort of chairs with cane seats they were usually fitted with loose upholstered squabs. For the upholstered types of Carolean E ~ N 66 7 - rte. ‘\ \ \ \ ‘ie le ay % Ue lal Oe ae ae r bs " a yy ih a » A ee he AP a oe nen + Tt Mi 2 “ . SS Leet ue ee ” vy ‘ ’ ’ 4 sgh Y Pate Be ta hg in ys h Bs war ; it * -" ~ \@ hd aA Sy Sa Sar ~ ve ¥ ; = ‘i Ls ea te fi _" a — ; W rt ha OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE © } PLATE XI A eabiner or wardrobe of architectural design deocenee with marquetry of various coloured woods, circa 1680. (This piec to have been made for James II when Duke of York collection of M. Harris, Esq. & | ‘ a y . \ *, \ a bh) etre ™ ; 1g aoe el. Px a ; > *, ae a hy, ' oe F - ; , , : oy J eer: oe r g y tA es 2° t d 4s 4 FZ a - i * ano ¥ a i 4 net ; ‘ nee Cae Papa 'y ire mas, é. *% a 7 Ten ty =" La Me - : ry ee -_ Ms 4 a 4 au ip ae Crees ae ¥ 00 0) ans ay ia" PLATE XI St nt hr ee ? > FPF % LK ) > aN 3 STUART WALNUT FURNITURE ~ 67 chair, damask and figured velvets were used for the coverings, which were further enriched by a trimming of deep, tassel fringe. Damask and velvet were also employed for the William and Mary chairs; but, in this period, needlework coverings, so popular from the next reign onwards, were some- times used. The original upholstery fabrics are seldom found on chairs to-day, but at Knole a number of specimens are preserved with their contemporary coverings of damask and Genoese velvet. A type of upholstered chair first introduced in the time of Charles II was the arm-chair with wings, and this variety has continued in favour up to the present day. The early Charles II and William and Mary examples are extremely rare, and were made with very high backs and boldly shaped wings and arms. Of the various stools of the period the early type had a cane seat, but examples of it are seldom met with. The stool with upholstered seat, dating from 1675, was originally made in sets numbering, perhaps, six, twelve or more. Another type of the upholstered stool has six legs instead of four ; this long variety, however, is only known by a few surviving examples. A few have also survived with eight legs instead of six, and are more in the nature of a long upholstered seat. These long seats or stools are confined to-day to historical mansions in which they have remained since the day they were made, such as the few specimens to be seen at Hampton Court Palace. The circular stool is another type of this period, and an example is shown in Plate XVII (c). Stools in the style of Daniel Marot are of great rarity, and although a number must have been made, few have survived. In addition to these chairs and stools in walnut, examples have survived of elm, chestnut and beech, the latter usually painted black. These articles will also be met with in oak, but the hardness of this wood made it less suitable for the elaborate carving, and it was, in conse- quence, seldom employed. The earlier type of Charles II daybed is that with a cresting to the back decorated with rosettes and a crown, and these early specimens have, on the two long sides, spiral-twist rails, which, about 1665, were super- seded by carved stretchers, thus following out the design of the con- temporary chairs. Some of these latter daybeds have the carved stretchers on one side only, this economy being adopted, presumably, when the daybed was intended to stand against a wall. Daybeds of about 1685, like the chairs, have the cresting of the back supported on the uprights, and the backs and seats are filled with fine mesh panels of cane. Daybeds of a design of a later date than this do not appear to have survived, and the last variety, which is the rarest of all, has eight legs instead of six. The back of the daybed was invariably made to hinge so that it could 68 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE be raised or lowered by cords. Examples are sometimes found with two backs, one at each end ; these are much rarer and more highly prized to-day than those with the single back. Another variety of the daybed, of which a few examples are extant, has an upholstered seat and back and eight legs, but in this type the back was not adjustable. These upholstered daybeds appear to have been made up to the end of Queen Anne’s reign, from which period most of the surviving examples date. The high-back upholstered couch, the earliest specimens of which date from about 1675, is another piece of Stuart furniture which is of great rarity. In form these couches are like two arm-chairs placed side by side with the centre arms removed ; the legs and stretchers and arm supports, which are the only parts in wood showing, following out the design of the contemporary chairs. These couches were invariably made with the backs, seats and arms upholstered, as an example with a wooden back is not recorded ; although one or two very rare couches are extant with the upholstering of the backs framed in by a carved wooden rail. Such an example of the William and Mary period has survived of dimensions equal to three arm-chairs, and designed with legs and stretchers accordingly. PAINTED BEECH FURNITURE Chairs and stools of beech, painted black, have already been referred to, and from the number of such articles found to-day, they appear to have been made in very large numbers during the first half of the walnut period. This is all the more evident because beech, of all timbers used for furniture, is the most liable to attack by the worm, to the ravages of which many of the surviving pieces bear witness ; and it follows, that those which have come down to us can only be a tithe of the number originally made. The reason for the manufacture of this furniture in beech is some- what obscure. Beech has always been plentiful in England, and it is reasonable to suppose that furniture could be made of it at less cost than the fashionable walnut, to meet the demand of the less wealthy members of society of the late seventeenth century. Another explanation for this quantity of beech furniture was the scarcity of walnut wood in England at the time, so that beech was used as a suitable substitute in districts where the walnut was not obtainable. This type of painted beech furniture appears to have been first made about 1675, as the earlier Carolean chair, with spiral-twist turning and amorini, does not appear to have been made in beech, no example being recorded. The design of nearly all the beech chairs extant is that with turned-baluster supports and stretchers and scroll front legs. This beech furniture appears to have gone out of fashion by about 1695, STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 69 as the surviving examples, in point of design, do not appear to be of a later date. Chairs of an elaborate nature, such as those with carved splats in the backs, were not made in beech, these more costly and high-quality examples being reserved for walnut. The reason for ceasing to make the beech furniture at this date may have been due to the importation of foreign walnut into England to meet the demand for walnut furniture, there being, therefore, no necessity to use beech as a substitute. Both single and arm-chairs have survived to-day, the former generally being of the variety with the narrow high back and small cane seat. Examples of stools and also of the early winged arm-chair in painted beech _are more frequently met with than their prototypes in walnut, which are to-day exceedingly scarce, especially as regards the winged arm-chair. The use of beech appears to have been confined mainly to chairs and stools, as a beech daybed or couch does not, so far, appear to have come to light. Tables were undoubtedly made in painted beech, as a few have survived ; and it is more than probable that a number of other articles ee made in this wood although not to the same extent as the chairs and Stools. On a few of these beech chairs and stools the carving has been enriched with gilding, but an example treated in this manner is seldom met with. Besides these partially-gilt pieces, a few suites, consisting of chairs and stools, made in beech, have survived, with their legs, stretchers and arms entirely gilt, and their backs and seats upholstered. The reason why this furniture was painted black, instead of being left in the natural wood and polished or varnished, is very difficult to account for, especially as a number of examples, mostly chairs, are extant treated in the latter way. Owing to their scarcity to-day in comparison to the painted examples, it is evident that it was the more general custom to paint this furniture instead of polishing it. The painted beech furniture to-day is, by no means, so valuable as the walnut, because the painted surface not only lacks the bronze-like patina of the latter, but the sharpness of the carving-is lost under the thickness of the paint. It has also a rather shabby look, the paint in many cases having become blistered and cracked ; and on the prominent parts of a chair, such as the arm or the top of the cresting, where it has been rubbed or handled, the paint will be worn away, disclosing the wood underneath. This last peculiarity rather enhances than mars its effect, besides being a sign that the piece is genuine, and has not been repainted within recent years. In some cases the paint has been removed and the wood stained and polished to imitate walnut, but this is never satisfactory, it being impossible 70 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE to remove all traces of the black paint from the grain of the wood and the interstices of the carving. Pieces so treated are invariably muddy in colour and the surface condition new and raw in appearance. PRESENT CONDITION AND SPURIOUS IMITATIONS The collector who wishes to acquire specimens of Stuart walnut chairs will find numbers of genuine examples to choose from ; but he should make a point of confining his purchases to examples of good quality and patina. The former is specially noticeable in the execution of the carving, which on some will be coarse, whilst on others it will be finely wrought and more elaborate in design. This does not refer, however, to the earlier examples dating before 1665, which, as already mentioned, were cruder and coarser in execution than the later types. The patina of these Stuart chairs, stools and daybeds will be found of varying quality. On examples with good patina the walnut will have a highly-polished bronze-like appearance, the projecting portions of the carving being light in comparison with the parts in low relief, which are of a dark tone caused through the accumulation of dust and beeswax. It would appear, judging from surviving examples of this Stuart walnut furniture, that it was the custom to finish their surfaces not with polish, but with a coat of thin transparent varnish. Unfortunately a number have been coated with a thick opaque varnish, which differs very considerably from the original transparent variety, and has been applied most probably in the past for the purpose of renovation. Fortunately, the majority of these chairs, stools and daybeds have escaped depreciation at the hands of the French polisher, owing perhaps to the difficulty of successfully applying the polish on their carved stretchers and turned rails. The question of the amount of restoration that these articles have received naturally affects their present-day value; the following notes, there- fore, on the condition in which they are likely to be found by the collector, and, also, on the types which are frequently copied by the imitator to-day, may be found useful in arriving at a proper understanding of these pieces. Most genuine chairs of the type with the cane backs and seats will have had the caning renewed, particularly that of the seats ; the seat-rails will also often be found in a more or less restored state, but these necessary renewals do not decrease the value of an example to any great extent. The original caning can be recognized by its brittleness and the coarseness in the strands, which will be loose from wear. The modern caning will have finer and more pliable strands, and the new cane panels, which will be toned down with stain to give them an appearance of age, will be tightly stretched and unyielding. a STUART WALNUT FURNITURE a1 The part of a genuine chair that is most likely to have been restored is the front stretcher, owing to its exposed position and consequent liability to damage; and this defect will be found in both arm and single chairs, especially the former. As the design of these stretchers in most chairs corresponds with that of the cresting surmounting the back, the designing of a new stretcher presents no great difficulty to the imitator. This restora- tion depreciates the value of a chair, and special care should be taken to see whether there is any variation in the surface condition and colour of the wood of the front stretcher from the other parts of the chair. The piercings of the carving on both sides of the stretcher and the surface of the back should also be examined, as on an original stretcher the wood should be perfectly hard and smooth to the touch, due to long exposure to the air and deposits of dirt and wax from use and domestic polishing. In the modern imitations the piercings of the carving will be rough, and the surface condition sticky from the recent application of polish and coloured wax to give an antique appearance. The crevices of the carving should also be scrutinized for traces of dark-coloured polish which will have been applied as described on page 42; and the presence of new glue at the ends of the stretcher where it joins the legs should also arouse suspicion. To properly insert the tenons of the new stretcher into the mortice holes of the legs, the chair should be taken to pieces ; but the imitator rarely goes to this trouble, and by stretching or wedging the front legs of the chair apart as far as possible, will “‘ spring” the new stretcher into its place. It is impossible to do this with tenons which accurately fill the mortice holes, so one or both tenons are, consequently, cut away, and the spaces left in the mortices are filled in with wedges to keep the stretcher firm and in position. It is not possible for the imitator to make his new stretcher so perfect that it cannot be detected by careful scrutiny. Many of the Stuart arm-chairs will be found with a modern arm. The collector, to detect this restoration, should look for any variation in the shape or finish of the two arms, or in their surface condition and colour. The undersides of the arms should be also examined, for such parts, being hidden from view, the imitator will not usually go to the trouble of faking. The underside of a new arm will in consequence show signs of recent manufacture in comparison with a genuine one. Many fraudulent copies of Stuart walnut chairs, especialiy those with upholstered back and seat, are to be met with ; and the various tests given in Chapter III should be applied for their detection, especially the one regarding shrinkage in the mortice joints, which causes the chair to creak and give a little under pressure. All genuine chairs of the Stuart period, even if they have been restored, should respond to this test, and not be Prate XIE A writing-cabinet aan fall-down font decorated with floral marquetr coloured woods, circa 1695. (The mounts are not ue al.) collection of M. Harris, Esq. PLATE XII STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 73 found rigid and unyielding. Another point in connection with the mortice joints of genuine Stuart chairs is the slight projection of the heads of the pegs, as described on page 47. It is practically impossible for the imitator to get the right colour and surface condition on the ends of new pegs, as, being cut across the grain, it is difficult to stain them to the requisite colour. Besides fraudulent sets of chairs the imitator also makes daybeds and couches, especially the latter, with the high upholstered back, turned legs and serpentine or carved stretchers. The imitator also turns his attention to making examples of these chairs, stools and couches in painted beech. In fact he prefers to work in this wood, as it is much easier to obtain an appearance of age on a painted surface than on one of polished walnut. He has made many spurious examples of the Charles II circular beech stool, also of the winged arm-chair with the high upholstered back, turned-baluster legs and rails, and an elaborately carved front stretcher. In making these beech imitations old material, obtained generally from Victorian beech bed-rails, is used. As has already been mentioned genuine beech furniture is invariably found to-day affected by the worm, and there are few genuine examples that do not show some traces of its ravages more particularly at the base of chair legs, which in many cases have been eaten away. Beech examples which are free from worm-holes should be viewed by the collector with suspicion, although the imitator, knowing this defect in his pieces, will sometimes remedy it by making artificial ones with a drill. Artificial worm-holes made in this manner, however, bear no relation to the condition of the wood inside, as in a genuine leg affected by the worm, the whole of the leg will become honeycombed with passages which will be filled with dust. The worm disliking the polish and glue, will, instead of coming out on the surface, continue to make burrows in the interior. As long as the outer surface of the leg is unbroken it will preserve some stability, but with the outer crust of the wood removed, the dust gradually filters down the borings and out of the external breach until the leg becomes a mere shell, which crumbles or collapses under strain or pressure. Worm-eaten wood when badly affected sounds hollow if tapped. The collector in order to detect these spurious examples of chairs, stools,* daybeds and couches both in beech and walnut, should not fail to examine the unpolished seat-rails of these articles. The wood of the rails should have, as already described, a dry mature look, be smooth to the touch and not sticky, nor exhibit any signs of bleaching with acids or * A number of spurious stools have been made out of the front legs of two single chairs. Some are found with upholstered seats, but a favourite type to be made in this manner is the early stool with the cane seat. 74 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE staining. On the genuine beech chairs and stools these parts are left un- painted ; the imitator, however, in order to overcome the difficulty of giving them an appearance of age, paints their surfaces similar to the exposed parts. A feature of a genuine walnut or beech stool, which the imitator is not able to copy, is the patination of the inside seat-rails caused by the hand gripping them when the stool is moved. In the corners of the rails against the legs, where the fingers will not reach, the wood will be light in comparison with the handled parts midway between the legs. This feature can be better realized by comparing the undersides of the rails of a stool with those of a chair, which, being lifted by the back, will not have the rails patinated as described. In all upholstered furniture the number of tack marks on the frame- work and seat-rails may have some bearing on the genuine or spurious character of the piece, although it would be necessary to open up the existing upholstery to see these marks. If the chair or stool frame is seen stripped of its upholstery prior to the latter being renewed, it is well to take note of these tack marks, as, if few in number, there may be a suspicion that the piece is not as old as it purports to be. The presence of old sacking and webbing on the underside of an upholstered seat should not be regarded as a sign of genuineness, as the imitator can obtain plenty of such old material, which he invariably uses for the upholstery of his fraudulent pieces to give them a more convincing air of antiquity. Attention has already been directed to the similarity between English furniture of the first half of the walnut period and the contemporary Dutch furniture. This is specially marked in the case of chairs, as in contemporary Dutch pictures walnut chairs are shown of nearly identical design to the English ones. The spiral-twist turning fF of the English chair differs, however, ' from that on the Dutch example, the English spiral-twist having the rope i Soy age ow span F . small and the hollow large, whereas the : foreign twist has the hollow small and DIAGRAM 10 rope large. ‘This difference can be eee PE Pea geuaas! Ere more readily appreciated by reference SRD El ENS TLE to the accompanying diagram, No. 10. fuist furning. The Dutch also favoured oval panels of cane in the backs of their chairs, whereas the English chairs had oblong panels. This rule is not invariable, but the percentage of foreign chairs with oval cane panels is much greater than with the English ones. There are, too, a much larger STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 7s number of foreign chairs with upholstered backs and seats than English examples. In addition to the Dutch chairs contemporary Italian and Spanish examples in walnut will be met with in England, mainly importations into this country in recent years to meet the demand for walnut furniture. They generally have upholstered backs and seats with a turned rail in front in place of the carved stretcher. This type with the turned-baluster front stretcher is but seldom found on English chairs. As shown on the table at the beginning of this chapter a spiral-twist front stretcher was in favour up to 1665, when it was superseded by the carved stretcher. The Italian examples of these chairs and stools are, generally, very light in colour owing to the walnut fading in the sunny clime of Italy. Foreign stools with turned rails, instead of the carved stretchers, are also met with. The collector should be able to recognize these types of foreign chairs and stools in order to avoid acquiring them in mistake for English examples, their value being considerably less. | Some French and Dutch walnut chairs of a design contemporary with the William and Mary period are met with in this country. These foreign examples are of a more elaborate design than the English chairs, some having cane panels in the backs and some elaborately carved splats. A favourite motif of design, often met with in the backs of these foreign examples, is a Roman head in a medallion ; this feature is never found on an English chair. These highly ornamented Dutch and French examples, unlike the plain foreign specimens mentioned above, are as valuable to-day as the contemporary English chairs, although they err on the side of over-elaboration, and lack the good taste of the more restrained English design. "TABLES The only Stuart walnut table of which any number has survived is the oblong table with veneered top on spiral-twist or baluster legs, similar to example, Plate VIII (c). The earliest of these tables does not appear to date before 1670, and the majority of them have four legs, but larger examples with five legs, similar to the one illustrated, will sometimes be met with. A drawer is invariably fitted in front, whilst the back is sometimes veneered, but more often left with the carcase disclosed, denoting that this type of table was originally intended to stand against the wall. The earlier examples have the spiral-twist legs connected by flat veneered stretchers. These were followed, as in the case of chairs and other leg furniture, by the baluster-turned legs. This type was in turn succeeded “6 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE by the turned-cupped leg. A few tables dating from the end of Charles the Second’s reign have the rare scroll leg with the serpentine stretcher (see Diagram 11); but very few examples with these legs are extant. This table with the spiral-twist legs is generally found to-day decorated with oyster-shell parquetry of laburnum wood, some- Ore: RGF times of olive ; and a number of examples will also be : 3 met within marquetry. The later tables with the turned- cupped legs are usually decorated with the straight-cut walnut veneer DIAGRAM 11. sometimes formed into panels with Scrol[ [es as foundon inlaid lines of box-wood. The legs of fhles Baker erate these tables were more often made = 3 - of elm or fruit-wood than walnut ; Cirea 16BOfo 17OO ana, in good quality examples, the front edges as well as the tops of the flat stretchers will be found veneered. In most tables, however, the front edge of the stretcher will be left unveneered like the back edge, these edges being formed by the deal foundation. A number of tables of this type will be met with in fruit-wood, oak or elm; these tables, being made in the solid wood with no veneer, could be produced at a lower cost and were made for a cheaper market. Many of them are of a later date than the design of the legs and stretchers would appear to indicate, for the reason that they were copies made in country districts of the expensive and fashionable veneered tables of a decade or two previous. The present-day condition of these tables shows them in varying states of repair. Generally the veneer of the top is either imperfect or blistered and raised, and the stretchers broken or lost; the last fate may also apply to the legs. These parts should accordingly be examined by the collector to determine how much the value of the table has been lessened by restoration. Many genuine examples will also have been depreciated by French polishing, whilst others will be coated with a thick varnish ; these tables, having the figure of the wood thus obscured, have lost their — decorative value. Spurious imitations of this table are usually confined to examples in marquetry, and these will be dealt with in the next chapter. , Judging from the quantity of these tables that has survived they are the only type that could have been made in any number up to the end of STUART WALNUT FURNITURE ns the reign of William III. The gate-legged table, as already mentioned, is but rarely found in walnut, and this is remarkable considering that from 1660-1700 it must have been the most usual form of domestic table, as so large a number of examples in oak are extant. The genuine walnut gate- legged table, when found, is generally of small dimensions, similar to Plate IX (a and 5). A few larger tables have survived, but these usually have their tops of oak or elm with their legs and stretchers only of walnut. Probably the extravagance of using large planks of walnut for the tops of such tables may be a reason why so few were made of this wood ; and although this difficulty could have been overcome by veneering the top, it would be necessary, to prevent the foundation warping, to veneer both sides, which would have added considerably to the cost. It is only by reviewing the technical difficulties that a possible solution of the inexplic- able scarcity of walnut gate-legged tables can be found. The majority of small gate-legged tables extant are either of oak or fruit-wood, such as pear, large tables not being possible in the fruit-woods, owing to the small size of the planks obtainable from these trees. Another Carolean walnut table is that with the folding top, similar to the marquetry example shown in Plate XIV. This type of table is found with spiral-twist, baluster, turned-cupped or tapered legs (as example illustrated), according to the date when it was made. A variation of this table, also found in walnut, is that with a hinged leaf, which instead of folding over on to the top, lets down similarly to the gate-legged table. Fewer examples of this type of table are extant than the one with the folding top. The collector who wishes to acquire a genuine walnut table of this period, unless very fortunate in his search, will have to confine his pur- chases to the oblong type with drawer, as the other varieties he will be less likely to meet with. The earliest walnut table made for the purpose of card playing would appear to be the one already described with folding top, as a few examples have survived with their tops covered with velvet. Another form of card table with a circular top was introduced in the reign of William ITI, and was supported on tapered legs connected by stretchers, as shown in example, Plate XXXI (a). The top of the table when closed was semicircular in shape, half the top being hinged, and this, when opened to the full circle, was supported on two of the back legs that pulled out after the manner of the gate-legged table. Small drawers were generally fitted in the freize of the table under the top. The collector who is desirous of purchasing such a table will find great difficulty in doing so, although the imitations of the commercial faker abound. 78 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XIII A mirror in frame with hood, decorated with floral design marquetry in various colour and stained woods. ‘The cross-banded mouldings to the frame are of olive wood, circa 1680. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. PLATE XI! STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 79 WRITING-CABINETS, BUREAUX, AND WRITING-T ABLES Pieces of domestic furniture designed specially for writing purposes were first made in this period. The earliest forms were the cabinet with fall-down front (see Plate XII) and the bureau-on-legs. In the writing-cabinet with fall-down front the lower part was com- posed of a chest-with-drawers,* as in the example shown. This piece was of typical Continental design, and its introduction into this country was prior to that of the bureau-on-legs, but whereas its popularity in England lasted only until about 1715, the same form of writing-cabinet continued to be made in Holland and France throughout the eighteenth century. The earliest examples of this cabinet, which would date about 1675, are usually found decorated with oyster-shell parquetry or marquetry. These parquetry and marquetry specimens are, however, much rarer than the examples in walnut, which are by no means rare to-day, many having survived both in the burr and the straight-cut walnut. It is, moreover, not a piece that is very highly valued, owing perhaps to its rather square and heavy design, and its unsuitability for writing purposes. The bureau-on-legs had two gates, similar in construction to those of the gate-legged table, for the support of the fall-down front, which, when opened, formed a surface for writing, and disclosed an interior fitted with small drawers and pigeon-holes for letters and papers. This design of a bureau was undoubtedly introduced from Holland, and the earliest examples do not appear to be of a date prior to 1680. The surviving specimens of this early bureau have either plain baluster-turned legs or the tapered and cupped legs of the William and Mary period, connected by stretchers of square section. This early type of bureau-on-legs is extremely rare to-day, and the majority of those extant are in the straight-cut walnut veneer, whilst two or three examples are known decorated in marquetry. That neither of the above articles are recorded as made in oak or fruit- wood points to the fact that they were pieces of furniture made for the _ houses of the wealthy and educated people, and not for the poorer classes, who would have no use for such articles. The bureau-on-legs was soon followed by the bureau mounted on a base with drawers, and the earliest examples of this type, judging from their désign, would seem to have been made about 1690. With this piece the fall is supported by runners which are pulled out from the carcase. Contemporary with the bureau-on-drawers was the bureau-bookcase, which * A few rare examples of this writing-cabinet mounted on stands with spiral-twist legs, connected by flat veneered stretchers, are extant. 80 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE was the bureau-on-drawers with the addition of a bookcase surmounting it; but as most of these bureaux and bureau-bookcases date from 1700 onwards they will be dealt with in Chapter VI on the furniture of the second half of the walnut period. In this chapter will also be mentioned two other forms of writing-tables which were not introduced until the closing years of the seventeenth century. One is the small bureau-on-stand, similar to examples, Plate XXVII (a and bd), and is another variation of the bureau; the other is a form of writing-secretaire with knee-hole and let-down front similar to example, Plate XXXVI (a). The above articles of furniture were those introduced into England for writing purposes up to the death of William III, although there are other forms of writing-tables* which have survived from this period ; notably one supported on scroll legs which is at Kensington Palace, said to have been used by William III, and another marquetry table at Windsor Castle, made for him, which is a copy of a contemporary Louis XIV example. These rare examples cannot, however, be said to be typical pieces of this period. | Genuine examples of bureaux, secretaires, and writing-tables of the first half of the walnut period, with the exception of the secretaire with fall-down front, will be seldom met with to-day; and, unfortunately, many of the examples that have survived have had their patina destroyed by French polish. The attractiveness of the design of the early bureau-on- legs to the collector, and its suitability for writing purposes, has caused the commercial imitator to make many spurious examples, for which he finds a ready sale. These imitations are generally designed with spiral-twist legs, a type of leg which it is doubtful would ever be found on the genuine example, as it had declined in favour before the introduction of this bureau into England. The great scarcity of genuine examples of this bureau should make the collector suspicious of those that he meets with, in view of the abundance of spurious ones existing. Besides the bureau-on-legs the imitator also copies the small bureau-on-stand, as this is another decorative and readily saleable piece of the walnut period. CABINETS, CHINA CABINETS AND BOOKCASES The cabinet of the first half of the walnut period, of which any con- siderable number survive, is that with the solid doors enclosing a number of small drawers around a central cupboard. These cabinets were made mounted on stands, having either spiral-twist, baluster or scroll legs, * The table with folding top, similar to example in marquetry (Plate XIV), was also a table used for writing at this period. STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 81 connected by flat veneered stretchers, whilst others were mounted on a base composed of drawers. They would appear to have been first made about 1670, and to have remained in favour until the end of William the Third’s reign, after which date their popularity waned and they were superseded by the lacquer cabinet. They are but seldom found in the straight-cut walnut veneer, being decorated generally either with oyster- shell parquetry or with marquetry. Larger cabinets of this type were also made on stands with five or six legs instead of four, similar to the example in marquetry, Plate X. Those with six legs generally have shelves in the interior, instead of the small drawers and central cupboard. Many of the smaller type, originally mounted on stands, are found to-day with the stands missing. In fact, this is generally the case, for while a surprising number have survived, considering the early period from which they date, only a few possess their original stands, the slender legs of the latter having, in most cases, been broken down by the weight of the cabinet. The collector who wishes to purchase a cabinet of this description should investigate the stand carefully, as within recent years a large number of these cabinets have had the missing stands renewed. The stand most frequently copied is that with the spiral-twist legs, and to recognize a spurious example particular examination should be made of the flat stretchers. The imitator will use old material for the foundation of these stretchers, as by so doing he will preserve the original surface on the underside. ‘The top and front edge of the stretcher he will cover with old or new veneer, but the back edge, which on an original stretcher will be left unveneered, has a freshly cut surface which must be faked to give it an appearance of age. In the majority of cases the imitator will avoid this difficulty by veneering the back edge. This would never be found on the genuine stretcher. The cabinet with small drawers in the interior was a much more favoured piece of furniture at this period than the walnut bookcase or china cabinet with shelves and a glazed front, as such pieces, dating from the time of Charles II to William III, are practically unknown to-day, only very few specimens having survived. To account for the scarcity of bookcases with glazed fronts, it must be remembered how few books there were in the average household of even the wealthy classes ; and that in the libraries of the large mansions of this time, books were housed in fitted bookcases, which were not separate articles of furniture, but built in with the wainscotting of the rooms. Although Queen Mary possessed the china cabinets specially made for her by Gerreit Johnson, and other wealthy people may have had similar cabinets, yet the number that were made at this period could only have been F 82. OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE negligible, otherwise many more would have survived the vicissitudes of time. From the second half of the walnut period we have inherited a plain type of cabinet or bookcase which will be referred to in a later chapter. The demand of unwary collectors for walnut china cabinets has led to the making of so many spurious examples, that, if they were genuine survivals of the William and Mary period, it would imply not only that the china cabinet was one of the most popular articles of furniture at that time, but that hardly a household in the country was without one. This ready sale for china cabinets has also resulted in the importation of a number of Dutch examples, as the making of such cabinets in Holland, especially during the first half of the eighteenth century, does not appear to have been so restricted as in England. ‘These Dutch china cabinets have the fronts glazed with oblong panels of glass, and in some examples, the sides were canted and also glazed. ‘They are mounted on stands with turned or tapered legs connected by flat stretchers, or on a base with drawers. Usually they are of large dimensions, being 6 or 7 feet in width, and have a curved and shaped top, generally ornamented with coarse carving. These foreign cabinets, which have no counterpart in English furniture, will be found in walnut veneer and oak, whilst others will be decorated with coarse floral marquetry. ‘The interiors were often painted; this, as already noted, was an expedient never employed by the English cabinet-maker. CHESTS-WITH-DRAWERS AND CHESTS-ON-STANDS The earliest chest-with-drawers, like the cabinets, would appear to date from about 1670, and from this time up to 1685 the majority of the surviving examples are decorated with oyster-shell parquetry or with marquetry. Examples in walnut do not appear to have been much in favour before 1685, hardly any having survived. These early chests-with-drawers generally measure about 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches in width, and have five drawers, two small and three long. The above remarks concerning the chests-with-drawers also refer to the chests-with-drawers on stand. From about 1670-1685 the stands were low and were invariably designed with a shallow drawer, with three spiral-twist legs in front and two behind, connected by flat veneered stretchers, which were sometimes shaped. By about 1685 the design of the stand altered, having four legs in front instead of three, of the tapered or turned-cupped design, typical of the William and Mary furniture. These later chests-on-stands were higher than the early ones, and are found to-day in veneered walnut. The tops, being above the eye-level, STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 83 were not veneered* as in the lower and earlier examples, but finished with a cornice. All these chests dating up to about 1695 will have the wide dovetail of Dutch appearance, similar to Diagram 2, also the half-round cross- banded moulding on the carcase round the drawer fronts, similar to Diagram 4. In Chapter V will be mentioned the examples decorated with mar- quetry, and in Chapter VI the further development of this article in the second half of the walnut period will be traced. The stands of these chests, like those of the cabinets, are usually found to-day imperfect, with the legs and stretchers missing, and the chest and the upper part of the stand, containing the shallow drawer, resting on the floor. Examples met with on complete stands should be scrutinized care- fully to see whether the latter are modern restorations. The remarks on page 81 concerning the veneer on the edges of the stretchers will apply also to these stands. TRIPOD STANDS In the earlier part of the walnut period the tripod foot as a support for tables was first introduced into England. The earliest example of a piece with this foot that survives to-day is a type of stand, similar to Plate VIII (a). The tops were generally octagonal in shape, and were of deal overlaid with walnut veneer. The stem has spiral-twist turning, similar to the example shown, and, together with the scroll feet, was, occasionally, made in walnut, but more generally of elm or fruit-wood. About 1690 the stem became tapered, similar to the small table illustrated, Plate VIII (5). All these early types of tripod stand are very Dutch in feeling, and a number of Dutch examples, sometimes decorated with coarse floral marquetry, with the tapered stem, will be met with in this country. The English examples, similar to those illustrated, are much rarer. This type of walnut stand has received considerable attention from the imitator, and he has made a number of fraudulent examples of the early type with the spiral-twist stem. ‘The collector should, therefore, in his search for a genuine specimen, realize its rarity, and view with suspicion all those that he encounters. The development of this tripod stand and table in the second half of the walnut period will be dealt with later, as after its introduction into England it became a very popular type of support for candlestands, tables, * Some transitional chests-on-stands will be found with the four legs in front and with the veneered top. bea” PAS os ter eB. + 84 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE — Prate XIV ae A writing-table with folding top, decorated with seaweed marq panels. The two front centre legs swing forward to support th leaf of the top, circa 1695. In the collection of Sir William 7, ates,” ne oe kl 5 ss es PLATE XIV whe : roan » ff } . ¢ . ” > om ; hs . i Pe &. p ee . ee a Se a : an - ae ' "wa cv ee ae H Ae i le ae tee ny wT 7 ‘ a i af ee | a? ba : yy Le re wy =m" y . i ay] ie tm eS ’ “ 7 yy = oi 7 } ’ = s i _- £ a es * =i a = rs ‘ . + J “ : iv is ' . « . x : < M me ty ' 4 = ‘ ‘ ; e ‘ %, a s on = ¢ = > > i } , i « ae P Se 1 * r 4 7 7 ‘ S a ¢ STUART WALNUT FURNITURE 85 and fire-screens. The tripod design persisted throughout the eighteenth century, undergoing various changes in treatment according to the current ruling fashions. BEDSTEADS The massive oak bedsteads of the preceding periods were undoubtedly used, and continued to be made, though of lighter design, in the first half of the walnut period. In Court circles in the time of Charles II, the oak bedstead was supplanted by the upholstered bed, which was a later develop- ment of the earlier examples of this type that was first introduced into England in the reign of James I, such as the upholstered beds at Knole. This bed, which was of the four-post variety, had no woodwork visible with the exception of the feet of the posts. The cornice, posts, and head- board had the upholstering fabric, generally of velvet or damask,* stretched and pasted over them, and the valances and curtains were trimmed with heavy fringe and galon. ‘The curtains at the foot hung round and hid from view the posts, which were plain, tapered and round in section, not being a decorative feature as in the oak bedsteads. In the reign of William III this upholstered State bedstead became more elaborate in character, and the height was increased to be propor- tionate to the taller rooms then in vogue. This development of the more elaborate and ornate bedstead was due in great measure to Daniel Marot, who was especially happy in his designs for upholstered work. Many of his published designs for bedsteads show great elaboration of detail, both in the hangings and in the elaborately carved and moulded cornices and head- boards. The four corners of the tester top were sometimes surmounted by plumes of ostrich feathers, whilst on other examples turned or carved vase- shaped finials covered with the upholstering fabric will be found. The hangings of the bedstead would be similar to the curtains of the room, the valances to the window-curtains being surmounted by a covered cornice similar in design to those of the bedstead. Practically the only bedsteads of the first half of the walnut period of which examples still exist are the State and Royal beds, similar to those preserved at Hampton Court Palace, and in other historical mansions, where they were reserved for the use of Royal and distinguished guests. This type of upholstered bedstead, however, set the fashion, and, * Bedsteads of this period also had their hangings of needlework. Some examples, extant, are of a very elaborate nature, the making of which must have involved considerable time and labour. 86 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE towards the end of the century, smaller and less elaborate examples had begun to make their appearance in the houses of the wealthy. That so few specimens of these simpler upholstered beds are extant may be due to their destruction in the eighteenth century, when they became shabby or were superseded by the mahogany bedsteads, which, judging by the number of posts that have survived, must have been made in considerable numbers. The further development of this upholstered bed in the second half of the walnut period will be shown in Chapter VI. CHAPTER V MARQUETRY FURNITURE 1670-1720 ARQUETRY in this period was a decoration entirely in veneer, in which a design carried out in one or more coloured woods was inlaid into a background formed of another wood of a different colour. It differed from the marquetry of the Elizabethan age, which was not an inlay of veneers, but the inlay of a wood into a solid background. The veneered marquetry had no period of evolution or transition in England ; it was a Dutch craft brought into this country in a fully developed state. The earliest pieces of furniture decorated with it would appear from their design to have been made about 1670,* and as already commented upon, the marquetry examples, made from this date to about 1690, have survived in far larger numbers than those veneered with the plain walnut, with the exception of pieces of oyster-shell parquetry, which method of decoration was as much in favour between these dates as marquetry. It might be deduced from this predominance of furniture decorated with marquetry and oyster-shell parquetry over that in the plain walnut veneer that the last-named did not come much into vogue before William III ascended the throne. Such an assumption, based on the rarity of the plain walnut examples of a date prior to this, may, however, be erroneous ; and the survival in larger numbers of marquetry and parquetry pieces be attributable to the greater care and attention bestowed by past owners in appreciation of their more elaborate and decorative character. The theory that marquetry was of earlier date than the plain walnut, however, is supported by the fact that the former, being far more expensive to produce, was confined, on its introduction into England, to the patronage of the wealthy * Samuel Pepys writes in his Diary for the year 1664 about a visit he paid to the house in Lincoln’s Inn Fields of Mr. Povy, M.P., Treasurer for Tangier, where he saw one of the rooms floored with woods of several colours, ‘‘ Like the best cabinet work I ever saw.” This undoubtedly shows that the new fashion of inlaying woods was in vogue as early as 1664, and it is possible that furniture decorated with marquetry was made about this date, although from the design of surviving examples, none would appear to be so early. 87 83 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XV (a) A long-case clock with carcase of oak veneered with ebony and decorated with panels. Eight-day striking movement by Ahasuerus Fromanteel, with bolt and shutter maintaining power and crown-wheel escapement with short bob pendulum. Dial 84 ins., with silver hour circle. Height, 6 ft. 5 ins.: circa 1670. (5) A long-case clock with carcase of oak veneered with oyster-shell parquetry inlaid with stars. Eight-day striking movement by Thomas Tompion, with bolt-and-shutter maintaining power. Dial, 10 ins. square. Height, 6 ft. 6 ins.: circa 1675. (c) A long-case clock with carcase of oak veneered with ebony and decorated with panels. Mounts of brass, water gilt. Month movement by Joseph Knibb. The striking is on two bells, according to Roman notation, Silver skeleton hour and second circles with each minute number. Dial, 10 ins. square. Height, 6 ft. 11 ins.: circa 1695. The above clocks are in the collection of S. E. Prestige, Esq. PLATE XV — =" we ae - i Pee | : 4 7 i 2 7 - = 7 7 ' : . - 7 = ‘on ¥ = \ 4 — : - e x = 4 ies = c ; : \ +. ap : = 7 ie = ‘ re é ' - rt ie ok de Ole SES ear 7 Ny aa ca . aoe Ae ae , Se Aas aNd 3 — om ~ Ge ie » * ad : - 7 + a> 1s Sh, a Ce igs so « oe . f a * c ie ' ey oid i" , Saye ar + aa ey 5.4 a td Wa ay MARQUETRY FURNITURE 89 classes, the less costly furniture in plain walnut making its appearance later to meet the demand of those not so well endowed. This is consistent with the evidence we possess in the examples surviving to-day, although it is impossible of proof; and, unfortunately, in the absence of authentic information in contemporary literature or records, the reasons underlying changes of fashion in the furniture of the past can only be surmised. No effort of imagination is required to realize the rich and gay effect of the marquetry furniture when new; that it became very fashionable amongst the rich of that day is amply proved by the number of examples that have survived. The design of the early marquetry which was copied from the Dutch was floral, depicting flowers in vases with birds. At first, it was confined in panels (see Plate X), but later the panels were discarded, and the marquetry was designed to cover the whole surface (see Plate XI). Floral marquetry in the last decade of the seventeenth century lost the strong Dutch influence of the earlier examples, the pattern being less sparse and the design more elaborate, sometimes exhibiting cupids and acanthus leaf scrolls amidst the flowers, a change attributable to the influence of Daniel Marot and his school of design. In the reign of William III two other varieties of marquetry, known as the seaweed and the arabesque, made their appearance. The former, as the name denotes, has a pattern representing the flowing floral lines of seaweed. It also resembles the finer leaves of the endive plant, and is, occasionally, therefore, called ‘‘ Endive Marquetry.”’ The arabesque variety was inspired by the brass and tortoise-shell designs of the French cabinet- maker, André Boule. A variant of the arabesque design is known as the “* Persian,” owing to the resemblance it bears to a pattern peculiar to the Persian carpet. Seaweed marquetry is generally found in panels, whereas, in the arabesque, the pattern is of the “all-over” type, and covers the whole surface. The seaweed type is more characteristically English than any of the other varieties, to all of which it is markedly superior, not only by reason of its restrained design, but on account of its greater decorative value. It supplies another instance of how the Englishman, having assimilated a foreign art, evolved his own interpretation of it, ultimately discarding what was not in consonance with his native taste. Seaweed marquetry went out of vogue in the first decade of the eighteenth century. The arabesque was the last phase of English marquetry, which declined in favour and became decadent by the end of Queen Anne’s reign, but lingered on until 1720. In all types of English marquetry the pattern was usually formed by inlaying light-coloured woods into a darker background of walnut or 90 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE other dark-coloured woods, such as coromandel or lignum vite. The inlaying of dark-coloured woods into a lighter background was seldom resorted to, as by this arrangement the marquetry lost in decorative value. The woods used for the pattern in the floral marquetry were many, and from examples which are extant to-day, native woods that were plentiful would seem to have been commonly employed. Such woods were holly, apple, pear, sycamore, and yew. Bog oak and beech were also used. For the flowers natural coloured woods were chosen, such as orange, citron and red sanders or sandalwood. To add still further touches of colour to the floral marquetry and att to make it more realistic, the leaves of the flowers were dyed green. To give more emphasis to the pattern, the walnut background was sometimes stained to a black tone which, to-day, through exposure to the light, has faded to a rich dark brown. Ivory* was often employed for the petals of the smaller flowers, and also for the leaves, the latter being dyed a bright green.t In the seaweed and arabesque marquetry, holly and box were generally chosen for the pattern, but, for the early floral marquetry, box was not often used, probably owing to its scarcity in this country. ‘The reserves between the marquetry panels were sometimes filled with straight-cut walnut veneer, but in higher-quality examples these spaces would be decorated with oyster-shell parquetry, generally of laburnum wood. In making panels of marquetry, the design was first drawn out on thin tough paper ; and to make the necessary copies of it, the lines of the original drawing were afterwards pricked through. ‘The design thus perforated, was fastened down over another sheet of paper and a fine, coloured powder dusted over its surface, the dust penetrating the perforations and leaving an imprint of the pattern on the undersheet. Further copies were made in the same way as required. In the seaweed and arabesque varieties, where only two woods were used, one for the background and one for the pattern, two layers of veneer, one of a dark wood for the background and the other light for the pattern, were fixed together by glueing each on to a sheet of paper placed between them. The paper design was then pasted on to one side of these two veneers, and the marquetry cutter, guided by the lines on the design, proceeded with a fine saw to cut the pattern out of both sheets of veneer at one operation, after which the two layers were separated with a thin knife blade, splitting * Bone, as a substitute for ivory, will not be found on old English marquetry furniture, being unsuitable, as, having an “‘ open grain,” polish and dirt would tend to discolour it. + The holly or box veneer was stained green in the sheet before it was cut. Ivory was, however, stained after it had been cut and glued on to the carcase of the piece. MARQUETRY FURNITURE QI the interleaved paper in two. It will be realized that the pattern had been cut out of both sheets; and that in the light wood was then fitted into the pattern spaces cut out of the dark wood forming the background. A piece of paper was then glued over the surface to hold the two together pre- paratory to the panel being glued on to the carcase of the piece of furniture. With the floral marquetry, where several different coloured woods were used in the design for the various flowers and birds, a different method had to be pursued. In this case the various portions of the design were cut separately from each other and from the background. For each flower, bird, or other ornament, a “‘ packet” of veneers of coloured woods would be glued together as already described ; the number of veneers in each packet being determined by the different coloured woods required. The patterns for various flowers, birds, and other ornaments were then cut out separately from prints of the design and pasted on to their respective packets of veneer. After the cutting of each packet the portions of the various veneers required in the design were placed in trays, preparatory to their being fitted into each other and into the background. The veins of leaves or the petals of a flower, when made out of one layer of veneer, were produced by saw-cuts, which were filled up with dark coloured wax to accentuate them. For instance, the bases of the vase on the doors of the cabinet, Plate X, are each formed from one piece of box. The gadroon moulding and acanthus foliage are delineated by saw- cuts in the veneer. This introduction of detail by means of the saw is typical of old English marquetry. Engraving or etching the surface, instead of cutting the veneer, was never employed at this period ; although in the late eighteenth century the inlaid work of the Adam or Sheraton Schools was treated in this manner. It is characteristic of floral marquetry that the pattern is never re- peated, although the balance of effect is maintained. In arabesque or seaweed marquetry of poor quality a panel will have both sides exactly symmetrical. On such a piece one-half of the pattern only would need to be cut in double layers of veneer, and these on being folded out formed the complete panel. By this method half the time and labour was saved in cutting the veneer and, also, in making the design. Sometimes a quarter of a panel was cut in eight layers of veneer, four for the pattern and four for the background, and these quarters when laid together made the com- plete panel. This labour-saving method of producing marquetry panels was seldom employed by the old marquetry cutters ; and when met with, to-day, is generally found on clock-cases decorated with late arabesque marquetry. The old marquetry cutter rarely utilized the “contra” or reverse 92 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XVI (a) A long-case clock with carcase of oak decorated with floral marquetry of various coloured woods in panels. Month striking movement by Philip Corderoy. Dial, 104 ins. square. Height, 7 ft.6 ins.: circa 1685. In the collection of Sir John Prestige. (5) A long-case clock with carcase of oak, decorated with arabesque marquetry. Eight-day striking movement by Jeremiah Newbrough. Dial, 11 ins. square. Height, 6 ft. 10 ins.: circa 1705. In the collection of S. E. Prestige, Esq. (c) A long-case clock with carcase of oak overlaid with straight-cut walnut veneer. Eight-day striking movement by Benj. Gray and Just. Vulliamy. Dial, 12 ins. square. Height,7 ft.7 ins.: circa1750. Inthe collection of ‘S. E. Prestige, Esq. PEATE XV Fy MARQUETRY FURNITURE 93 veneers that were left over from the cutting of the seaweed or arabesque patterns. These produce a marquetry with a dark pattern on a light back- ground ; and such marquetry, when genuine, is usually found decorating pieces of a late date, when the art of the marquetry cutter was in its decadency. A method by which the light colour of the box or holly could be shaded so as to give depth to the pattern was by scorching the surface of these veneers. This was effected by placing the small pieces of veneer, or so much of them as required shading, in hot sand, and by this expedient the shading could be graduated in tone. After the veneering of the carcase with the marquetry had been com- pleted and the glue had become set, the surface was scraped and cleaned off, and well sand-papered down to make it smooth. It was then stained and polished like the walnut examples. The quality of old marquetry varies considerably. In the floral work the “ close-cutting ”’ of the pattern is a prominent feature of the high- quality piece. To effect this perfect fit of the veneers, the cutting, both in the background and the pattern, was done on the centre of the lines of the design. In cutting the outline of the flower, the saw was kept on the outer side of the centre of the line, and in cutting the space in the background, into which it was to fit, the saw-cut would be kept on the inner side of the centre of the line. The result was that no more than a hair crack was visible between the two when they were fitted together. From examples extant of Charles II marquetry this attention to close-cutting of the inlay could not have been considered in the same degree as it was in the later pieces. On marquetry, such as the seaweed and arabesque, and in the cutting of the small packets of veneers in the floral marquetry, such close- cutting was not possible, as the veneers being all cut together there would always be between them the thickness of the saw-cut. In arabesque or seaweed marquetry the edges of the scrolls and leaves should be clean- cut and accurate in the curves, whereas on poor examples they are jagged and the curves angular. Variation in quality in the execution of marquetry is specially notice- able when English and Dutch examples are compared. ‘The latter is coarser and the pattern does not fit closely to the background ; the design is more detached and has not the same graceful composition of the English example. Shading is more largely resorted to, and ivory inlay is also more lavishly used. The Dutch favoured the “ all-over ” style of marquetry, and but seldom placed their floral marquetry in panels. ‘This is more especially true of Dutch marquetry furniture of the eighteenth century, as an early type of coarse marquet-y, composed of a design of broad acanthus leaf 94 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE scrolls, will sometimes be met with in panels. This type of Dutch marquetry often has birds, sometimes resembling eagles, introduced into its design, and, not unfrequently, it will be met with executed on a light background, which method the Dutch were not as averse from using as the English. Unlike the English, the Dutch continued to make floral marquetry right through the eighteenth century, its execution and design becoming more decadent as the century advanced. In a piece of untouched marquetry, the box or holly, originally of a light colour, will have assumed a deep mellow tone, which resembles the colour often seen on the bowl of a meerschaum pipe coloured by nicotine, and is caused through the toning of the polish or varnish by long exposure to the atmosphere. The box and holly inlay will also exhibit a number of small cracks which, owing to their having become filled with dirt and wax, are specially noticeable. The surface of the marquetry, through shrinkage of the foundation on which it is laid, will be wrinkled and cracked, and portions of it, through wear and bad usage, will often be missing, disclosing the carcase. When the inlay has become loose, dirt and dust will have lodged under its surface, and where the various pieces of inlaid veneer join each other, there will be seen protruding above the surface minute ridges of hardened glue. This latter feature is typical of marquetry when in its original state, as these ridges will have been removed if the surface has been repolished. In this case the mellow tone of the box or holly will have become lighter and of a brighter yellow colour, owing to the original varnish or polish being cleaned off preparatory to the application of the new polish. The beauty of old marquetry, to-day, as in the case of walnut furniture, depends to a great degree on the presence of patina; and a piece which has had its damaged marquetry restored, its blemishes removed, and surface coated with a high polish, can in no wise bear comparison with the piece that possesses its original surface, mellowed and patinated by time, and unharmed by the hand of the French polisher. SPURIOUS MARQUETRY FURNITURE Marquetry furniture, unfortunately, is not immune from the attentions of the faker. Not only does he make examples of entirely new construction, but he enhances in value old pieces of plain walnut by the addition of spurious inlay. The productions of the commercial faker are not of great account as, like his walnut furniture, they have but little in common with the genuine examples, either in patina, quality, or design. He generally employs sea- weed marquetry in panels which he produces in a time-saving, mechanical MARQUETRY FURNITURE 95 aed thus rendering them easier to make than the floral or arabesque esigns, — The knowledge and ability of the collector will be tested, however, by the fraudulent marquetry of the skilled faker, who utilizes the floral, seaweed, and the arabesque types, and in his work follows out the methods of the old marquetry cutters. He is not able, however, to spend too much time in the production of his pieces, and the quality of their execution suffers accordingly. By one who understands old English marquetry and is familiar with the peculiarities inherent to the methods of the workmanship, and the degree of quality and finish which could be obtained when neither time nor labour were considered, the impostures of the imitator can be recognized without difficulty. Some of the principal points in which the modern work differs from the old can be briefly stated. The modern marquetry will lack the “ close- cutting ” of the old ; it will also be more stereotyped and regular in appear- ance, exhibiting none of the individual conceits so often found in the work of the old craftsmen. The leaves which in the old floral marquetry were cut separately from the stems will, in modern work, often be found in one with them. Seaweed marquetry with its series of fine scrolls is a severe test of the capabilities of the modern marquetry cutter. Being the most difficult and expensive of all types of marquetry to cut, the tendency of the imitator is to simplify this design by reducing the amount of pattern, making the scrolls larger, the fronds of the seaweed broader and more regular, and eliminating the minute offshoots of the foliage. In the old work, similar to that on the table top, Plate XIV, the ends of the fronds or scrolls are slightly rounded, the delicate rounding enabling the cutter to turn his saw more easily around the points. This refinement is generally disregarded in the modern work, the fronds ending in a point around which the cutter is unable to work his saw without making a hole or dent, which becomes more prominent when filled with the stain and wax afterwards used in polishing. Unless a prodigious amount of labour is expended, it is not possible for the modern work to exhibit the fine tracery of the old; and the faker with a lively sense of the collector’s deficient understanding of the qualities in the old marquetry does not consider it necessary to put the amount of detail into his work that would tend to avert detection. Cutting the veneers in double or quadruple thicknesses which, when opened out, form the complete panel, is one method much favoured by the imitator for reducing his labour. The “ contra” or reverse veneers resulting from the cutting are also used for a second piece of furniture, which is the reason why so 4 Bo ae a ee eis’ (Gone & ’ : re ee es » a ate 3 . fare ‘ » J ig re re a ae) * > * tae eel Wel : . a - £< ae * ak, i . Sat ‘ | = eo 4 ; BENS 7 ec eee 7 SENT 96 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XVII (a) A walnut stool, circa 1715. In the collection of Percival D. Grifiths. “ (b) A walnut stool, circa 1735. In the collection of Percival D. Griffith (c) A circular walnut stool, circa 1695. In the collection of Si Plender, G.B.E. aS ee ae oval walnut stool circa 1715. In the collection of ¥ Griffiths. : : | ow eae PEATE VIL > ’ MARQUETRY FURNITURE 97 many of the spurious pieces exhibit marquetry with a dark pattern on a light background. In pieces of new construction, old material will be employed for the carcase work, and genuine walnut veneer, obtained from derelict specimens, for the general surfacing. ‘The enhancing in value of genuine pieces of plain walnut furniture by inlaying their surfaces with spurious marquetry, is a deception which the imitator has carried out on many genuine articles, such as secretaires with fall-down fronts, long-case clocks, chests-with-drawers, bureaux, and mirror frames, in fact any plain walnut piece that he considers can be increased in value successfully by this treatment. His method in this direction is to cut out pieces of the genuine walnut veneer and to fill in the vacant spaces with spurious marquetry panels. ‘There are several advantages for the faker in this class of deception, because he is able to retain the carcase and cross-banded mouldings of the old piece and all its original veneer, except where the latter has been cut away. The modern veneer, as previously mentioned, is thinner than the old, and a thick backing of glue is required to bring the new panel flush with the surrounding veneer. As, however, the new panels are usually cleaned off and polished by the faker before the glue is set, they will afterwards sink, and in consequence will be on a slightly lower level than the original surface. Not only should the collector carefully examine the marquetry panels of a piece for this defect, but he should compare the surface of the marquetry with that of the surrounding walnut. If the marquetry panels are new, their surfaces will be comparatively free from dents and scratches, and in striking contrast to the old blemished surface of the original veneer. Occasionally some ineradicable defect, such as a deep scratch, ink-stain, pot-ring or burn on the table or chest top, will be cut through and ended in a very abrupt manner by a marquetry panel, and in such cases there can be little doubt that the piece and its marquetry panels are not contemporary. As already mentioned, old pieces with drawers may, in the course of their existence, have been fitted with two or three sets of handles, for which the drawer fronts will have been pierced in different places. But pieces decorated with marquetry panels on the drawer fronts will sometimes be found, where the back of a drawer front will disclose one or two holes made for former handles without there being any corresponding piercings through the marquetry panels on the front ; the imitator having either forgotten to make the additional piercings or been loathe to spoil the appearance of his new marquetry. The faker’s greatest stumbling-block is the turning of the new light woods to the deep and mellow shade of the old. In order to do this he has to rely on coloured polish and dirted wax, and if this toning is too sparingly G 98 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE done, the wood will be too light and new in appearance. If overdone, which is more usual, the box or holly has a clouded and painted appearance, very different from the clear brilliancy of the genuine piece. It is impossible, owing to the hardness of these light-coloured woods, to tone them except in this way ;. for whatever is applied does not sink in, but remains on the surface, and, consequently, obscures and hides the wood. ‘These heavy coatings of polish and wax can be seen distinctly on the light parts of the marquetry design when it is examined in a good light. A number of these fraudulent marquetry pieces are varnished, for the skilled imitator finds that by treating them in this manner he can obtain a closer resemblance to the genuine example ; the varnish giving greater clarity and a less painted effect. Another important divergence between the genuine and spurious marquetry is the absence of the little ridges of hardened glue protruding from the joints of the inlay, as already described. Polish, dirt and darkened wax are used to fill up these joints; but this filling sinks in after a short time, leaving a distinct furrow between the veneers. When detected, this feature should, in itself, arouse suspicion. The smooth, even surface of the fraudulent piece is in striking contrast to the blemished surface of the original one, and this will be specially evident if the hand is passed over old marquetry when in an original state. To obviate the smooth surface of his pieces the faker will blister and buckle the veneer by damping and applying a hot iron, as already mentioned. An original table top or cabinet door will generally be found split owing | to shrinkage. This defect will not occur in a spurious piece if old material has been used for its carcase ; but when, as sometimes happens, the imitator makes the carcase from new material, a split will occur in the veneer before many months have passed. On an original piece the crack, which will be many years old, will be filled with dirt and dust, and the once sharp edges of the veneer will be worn away. In the spurious piece the split edges of the veneer will be sharp, and the crack free from dust, and where the latter traverses the holly or box veneer, it will disclose the light colour of the new wood, very different in contrast to the artificially-toned appearance of its top surface. On a genuine piece the holly or box where split will be a dark tone through the accumulation of dirt and wax. “ CHAIRS English chairs were seldom decorated with marquetry, and examples treated in this manner date from the first twenty years of the eighteenth century, and are usually of the type with the hooped back and shaped splat. ER Cy a Ca ORS eu ee bs ee ee Ne eee a ee ee Ol, a i ee ide. MARQUETRY FURNITURE 99 The decoration is nearly always confined to small panels on the splats and on the knees of the cabriole leg, and sometimes a small panel of marquetry is found decorating the front seat-rail. Arabesque was the variety invariably used, and a favoured custom was the inlaying of an entwined and reversed monogram on the splats of the chairs; the delineation of a monogram in this manner being much in vogue at this period. Other chairs of this time have their splats inlaid with heraldic devices. The hooped-back chair with cabriole legs, so often found in England decorated with floral marquetry, not only on the splat, side-rails and seat-rails, but, in some examples, even on the front legs, is not of English but Dutch origin. Compared with English chairs, showing a precise and restrained use of marquetry, these over-decorated Dutch examples are in bad taste. The imitator makes spurious chairs decorated with small marquetry panels, as these will give him less trouble to fake than carved ornament. He has also been known to inlay new panels of marquetry into genuine walnut chairs, and would no doubt have done much more in this direction, but for the scarcity of the genuine chair. The collector should not fail to scrutinize the marquetry panels on any chair that he meets with, to make certain that they have not been added within recent years. ‘TABLES The oblong table with drawer, described in the previous chapter, is not an unusually rare piece to find decorated with marquetry. A number of examples have survived with floral marquetry of the early type and spiral-twist legs. ‘The later type on scroll legs with floral or seaweed marquetry is much rarer and far more valuable, to-day, than any other variety of this table. The present condition of these marquetry tables is similar to that of the contemporary examples in oyster-shell parquetry or walnut as described on page 76. The marquetry example, however, differs in one respect in that the top of the table will often have pieces of the inlay entirely missing. Many such tables, once in this condition, have been restored, but owing to the difficulty of matching the new parts with the old, the old will be made to match the new by repolishing the whole top. This naturally involves the destruction of the patina. The imitator has found the reproduction of this table, decorated with marquetry, a very remunerative business, and he has accordingly made many fraudulent examples from old material, using old walnut veneer for the background of the marquetry. Many of these spurious tables are decorated with seaweed marquetry in panels and PLATE XVIII (6) A winged arm-chair with walnut cabriole legs, upholstered in its original gros point needlework covering, circa 1715. (The back of this chair is made to raise and lower by means of a ratchet.) In the collection - . Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. ms (a) A walnut barber’s chair with all four legs Rae and knee of fr See with shell, circa 1720. In the collection of Sir Wr a0 B.E PLATE XVill MARQUETRY FURNITURE IOI have the rare scroll leg, as this leg not only makes the table more saleable, but it is easier to reproduce owing to its surface being veneered. For the veneering of these legs the skilled faker will use old veneer, but the backs of the legs, as in the genuine examples, he will leave unveneered. The freshly cut deal or pine exposed on this part has, therefore, to be faked, and the collector should make a point of carefully examining these un- veneered portions for any signs of staining or colouring. Such parts on the genuine leg will have the dry look of the mature wood, and be smooth and not sticky to the touch. The rarity of the genuine marquetry table with the scroll leg, and the incommensurable number of fraudulent examples of this type, should, alone, make the collector pause before buying a table of this description without very careful examination on the lines already indicated. Another difference between the fraudulent table and the old is that the tops of nine out of every ten genuine tables will have one or more cracks lengthways across the surface, caused througi the marquetry splitting by the shrinkage of the carcase. As already mentioned, such defects are not likely to be found on the spurious example, and the notes on page 98, in connection with these cracks when they do occur, should also be remembered by the collector when he examines a table of this description. Besides the spurious examples of this table, the collector must also be wary of purchasing a contemporary Dutch table at the price of an English one, as the former are not so valuable. The Dutch tables are heavier in design and of larger dimensions, their legs and stretchers being thicker and not so refined in feeling. The tops also are thicker, and their edges, instead of being cross-banded with walnut, are decorated with alternating inlaid pieces of dark and light wood, or sometimes of ivory and ebony. Other types of tables decorated with marquetry are but seldom met with to-day, and unless specially favoured by fortune, the oblong table is the only genuine English marquetry table the collector is likely to meet with. It must not be inferred, however, from this scarcity that other types of marquetry tables were not made, but rather that they were not so fashion- able or popular as the oblong variety. An example of a rare type of table to be found in marquetry is shown in Plate XIV. The discovery of a genuine marquetry card table does not appear to have been recorded. The commercial imitator has, however, supplied the demands of the unconversant collector by the production of scores of such tables decorated, usually, with seaweed marquetry in panels. The cloudy and muddy appearance of these pieces with their artificial painted patina does not require much perspicuity to detect, even were the collector unaware that the existence of genuine examples of such card tables is doubtful. 102 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE CABINETS As already mentioned, the cabinet-with-doors mounted on a stand or base with drawers, dating from the first half of the walnut period, is often met with in marquetry, and the note given in the last chapter on the design and rarity of the stands applies also to marquetry examples. The small drawers in the interiors of these cabinets will have their fronts decorated with marquetry ; and the insides of the doors and the sides of the cabinets will also be treated with this decoration. ‘The colour of the wood on the fronts of the interior drawers and the inside of the doors will in many cabinets be found to vary from that on the exterior; the light- coloured woods on the outside will have the deep mellow tone already described, whereas inside the cabinet they will usually be much lighter and fresher in appearance. ‘This is due to the varnish or polish, not being exposed to the atmosphere, remaining unchanged. Larger examples of these cabinets, similar to the one illustrated, Plate X, are more usually met with in marquetry, and not in oyster-shell parquetry. The early examples of this cabinet, both large and small, were decorated with floral. marquetry, the doors being divided up into small panels, and the reserves between the panels filled with oyster-shell par- quetry either of laburnum or olive wood, and occasionally with straight-cut walnut veneer. In these floral marquetry examples it will be noticed that the panels of marquetry, even on the small drawers in the interior of the cabinet, are all of different design. ‘The fact that the designs were never repeated shows what painstaking care was devoted to making the best furniture of this period. These cabinets are seldom found to-day decorated with seaweed marquetry, and like the tables, very few are extant on stands with the rare scroll legs. A few other cabinets of unusual design decorated with marquetry have survived, but in such small numbers that they cannot be regarded as standard types of which many examples were made, like the cabinets already described. One of these rare pieces, the cabinet or wardrobe reputed to have been made for James II when Duke of York, is shown in Plate XI. The marquetry is of exceptionally high quality, and the piece lavishly inlaid without regard to cost. Both in design and execution this cabinet is English in character,* yet, as its date is about 1680, it is unlikely, in the short time marquetry had been in vogue at this date, that an English craftsman could have become sufficiently skilled in the art of marquetry cutting as to produce such an elaborate and finished piece. It was probably, therefore, the work of Dutch * As a further proof of the English provenience of this piece the locks, which are the original ones, are English. — . 3 Ed | as be ed Re Pe Se ieee ow hoe oe . { s , Ad z ‘ , . . id MARQUETRY FURNITURE 103 craftsmen, resident in this country. At the same time the support of the massive cabinet on arcading, resting on the four ball feet in front, is un- gainly, and the effect is not good in proportion. It would suggest that the designer’s original intention was to mount the cabinet on a stand, but finding the piece would be too heavy, altered his design, as the construction shows no evidence of there having been any legs, and the ball feet are contemporary. So far as the imitator is concerned, these marquetry cabinets will not be found of entirely new construction, for they involve so much labour in their production that it would not pay to make them. As already mentioned, very few were made in the straight-cut walnut, so that examples enhanced in value by the addition of spurious marquetry panels are less likely to be met with. Of china cabinets or bookcases with glazed fronts decorated with marquetry, no genuine English examples are known to exist ; although the commercial faker, whose walnut china cabinets have already been com- mented upon, often varies their design by making specimens inlaid with marquetry panels. The Dutch walnut china cabinets, as already described on page 82, will be met with in marquetry, and these should not be mistaken for English examples. The marquetry which decorates these eighteenth-century cabinets is generally of floral design, coarsely and poorly executed, and is not in panels but covers the whole of the cupboard doors or drawer-fronts. ‘The light woods of this Dutch marquetry are HEE of a bright yellow colour and garish in appearance. SECRETAIRES AND WRITING-BUREAUX The secretaire with the fall-down front, introduced into England about 1675, and described in the last chapter, is the only piece of furniture decorated with marquetry made for writing purposes, of which a number of examples have survived, although these marquetry secretaires are out- numbered by the examples of the marquetry cabinet with solid doors just described. ‘These secretaires are found decorated in panels both with the early floral marquetry and also with the later seaweed variety. As already mentioned, a number of spurious examples of the secretaire have been made in recent years by enhancing the genuine plain walnut ones with marquetry panels. Such examples the collector should be careful to avoid purchasing. Examples of the early bureaux-on-legs, decorated with seaweed and arabesque marquetry, have also survived, but rare as are the plain walnut examples of this bureau, the marquetry examples are still rarer. To enrich OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XIX (6) A walnut arm-chair, with back and seat rail overlaid with burr walnut i veneer, on to which has been applied carved decoration in low reli circa 1725. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, eek ™s., , (a) A walnut chair with back and seat-rail overlaid with bu veneer, and with unusual moulded seat rail and carved ap circa 1725. In the collection of C. D. Rotch, Esq. eS . .-> Rag - re - Rs as — £ «16> @. <: 4 Ch ee : 4 f uP tp. 1 aes A is i af 7 ie ey Oe PLATE XIX B MARQUETRY FURNITURE 105 his copies of the early bureau-on-legs, the imitator will sometimes decorate them with panels of seaweed marquetry. Of the bureau-on-drawers, and the bureau-bookcase, only a few specimens in marquetry are extant, and these are decorated with panels of the seaweed variety. No example of either of these articles decorated with floral designs is recorded, for the reason that these pieces were only intro- duced into England when the floral marquetry was on the wane. Many Dutch bureaux-on-drawers will, however, be met with, decorated with the characteristic coarse marquetry of floral design. These examples date from the middle of the eighteenth century or later, for the Dutch, as already noted, continued to make marquetry furniture long after it had gone out of fashion in England. The Dutch bureaux are usually of much larger dimensions than the English, and the lower part occasionally has the bombé, or swelled front, that is so typical of the eighteenth-century Dutch furniture. A number of genuine walnut bureaux and bureau-bookcases have been converted into marquetry examples within recent years, and this fact should be remembered by the collector when he meets with either of these pieces decorated with inlay. The small bureau-on-stand decorated with marquetry would be a very rare find to-day, for although such pieces must doubtless have been made, the existence of one does not appear to be known. Many of the fraudulent examples of the imitator, are, however, decorated with seaweed marquetry. The secretaire with knee-hole and let-down front would also be a very rare piece if found in marquetry. Plain examples, which have been en- hanced with spurious marquetry panels, are more likely to be met with to-day than the genuine specimen. CHESTS-WITH-DRAWERS AND CHESTS-ON-STANDS Chests-with-drawers, like the other marquetry furniture, were decorated with floral marquetry in panels, floral marquetry of the “ all-over ’”’ type, seaweed marquetry in panels, and late examples in the arabesque marquetry, according to the varying fashions between 1670 and 1700. The marquetry chest-on-stand does not appear to have been made after 1690, and, there- fore, examples with seaweed or arabesque marquetry are not likely to be met with. This is borne out by the fact that the taller chest-on-stand of the William and Mary period, without the veneered top, is never found decorated with inlay. Chests-with-drawers have survived in far larger numbers than those on stands, and the notes already given on the stands of the walnut examples, both as regards their design and rarity, also refer equally well to marquetry specimens. 106 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE The tops of these chests are inlaid with marquetry similar in the design to that on the tops of the oblong tables already described. In fact, this similarity has often induced the imitator to convert a chest top into a table top. As a table is more valuable to-day than a chest, it would pay him to carry out this fraud, even though he has to make a new drawer and frame, legs and stretchers. Besides this conversion, the marquetry chest-with-drawers is a piece that has often assisted the imitator to reap a good profit. Scores of plain walnut chests during the last twenty years have had marquetry panels let into their surfaces, and although this deceit in the past was a very paying proposition, when the plain example could be purchased for £3 or £4, to-day it is not so frequently carried out, as the plain chest is not only much scarcer, but considerably more expensive. A type of marquetry that was much favoured by the imitator for decorating these chests was the Dutch design of the broad acanthus-leaf scroll already mentioned. This marquetry being coarser, and having no fine detail in its pattern, could be reproduced more easily and at a lower cost than the floral, seaweed or arabesque varieties. Chests decorated with this foreign type of coarse marquetry should therefore receive but scant attention from the collector. A useful test to apply to these chests to deter- mine their genuineness, is the one already mentioned of the holes at the back of the drawer-fronts not appearing on the face of the front because they have been covered up with the modern marquetry. CLocK-CASES The long-case clock made its first appearance in England soon after Charles II ascended the throne. The case was a favourite article to be decorated with marquetry; so much so, that the evolution of English marquetry can be traced in the clock-cases from 1670-1720. The earliest clock-cases, dating from about 1662, were veneered with ebony (Plate XV (a and c)). The next type of case would appear, from examples extant, to have been decorated with oyster-shell parquetry, and sometimes further enhanced with inlaid stars on the door and base (Plate XV (b)). This was followed by the case with floral marquetry in panels (Plate XVI (a)). By about 1690 clock-cases with marquetry of floral design entirely covering the door and base came into vogue, and some examples are found of this type with cupids and scroll work introduced into the design which, as already described, was due at this time to Daniel Marot and his followers. Cases decorated with seaweed marquetry date from about 1695, and the design is generally in panels. The clock-case a5 j : . MARQUETRY FURNITURE 107 with arabesque is, to-day, usually associated with cases dating from 1705- 1720 (Plate XVI (b)). The dates given here are, of course, only approxi- mate, as the various styles in marquetry overlapped, floral marquetry cases being found of as late a date as 1715. The craft of the clockmaker in the time of Charles II was an important one. ‘The celebrated horologists, such as John Fromanteel and Thomas Tompion, held rank in their day as scientists, and enjoyed the esteem of contemporary society. ‘Through the inventions and improvements made _ during this reign, foremost amongst which were the long pendulum and anchor escapement, the popularity of the clock quickly became assured. The earlier timekeeper, the brass lantern clock with the bob pendulum, had been but an indifferent instrument to tell the passing of the hours. The long-case clock when first introduced was, as one would expect, confined to the patronage of the rich; but the demand for it continually increasing caused considerable numbers to be made, more especially from the reign of William and Mary onwards, which can be with reason inferred from the long roll of members of the Clockmakers’ Company at that time. The early clocks were narrow and small in size, with dials about Io inches square, or even smaller. ‘The sizes of the dials and the cases increased as time went on, and the moulding under the hood, also that sur- mounting the base, altered in section, the earlier ones being invariably convex and the later ones concave; this change coming into vogue about 1705. In the earlier cases up to about 1695, the hoods slid up to give access to the dial for the winding of the movement, but after that date the hood was provided with a door. Other changes that took place were variations in the ornaments which decorated the four spandrel corners of the dial ; the figures which indicated the minutes on the dial also gradually increased in size, as the early clocks had the figures small. An important change which came in about 1715 to 1720 was the addition of an arched top to the previous square dial. The cases in this period were made, unquestionably, by cabinet-makers who confined their work solely to the production of such articles. This would account for clock-cases having certain peculiarities not found in contemporary furniture. For instance, the mouldings around the doors in some cases are made in the solid wood, ebonized in the Dutch manner, and not cross-banded. On other cases decorated with marquetry, the panels would appear to have been cut away to make them fit the door or base. Such examples were undoubtedly made by small country clock-case makers, who bought stock marquetry panels, and did not cut their own marquetry as the case-makers in the larger towns would undoubtedly have done. The carcases of the cases at this period were invariably made of oak for the sake 108 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE __ PLATE XX (6) A walnut writing-chair upholstered with the original gros and petit — point needlework covering, circa 1720. In the collection of Frank | Partridge, Esq. +) (a) A walnut arm-chair with upholstered seat and back, covered 1 and petit point needlework, circa 1735. In the collection of P D. Griffiths, Esq. | a Bots. PLATE XX MARQUETRY FURNITURE 109 of appearance, owing to the interior of the case being visible when the door was open. The movements of the long-case clocks of this period are a factor in their present-day value, apart from the cases ; in fact, to-day a fine move- ment governs the value of a clock even more than the case. A case which possesses a movement by one of the famous makers of this period, such as John Fromanteel, William Clement, Thomas Tompion (clock and watch- maker to Charles II), Edward East, Daniel Quare, Joseph Knibb, or George Graham, will be of great interest and value to the clock collector. Movements by these makers, needless to say, are extremely rare and much sought after to-day ; although clocks with movements by contemporary and less eminent makers are not so difficult to meet with, and such examples will have their value governed to a greater extent by their cases. A few interesting points about clock movements may be briefly stated here. Movements exhibit varying degrees of quality; those made by London makers being markedly superior to the movements made by the country maker. Fine specimens by the best makers show a high standard of workmanship in the finish, not only of the dials and hands, but of the corner-pieces, which on the earliest examples are water-gilt ; also of the hand-beaten brass plates, the pillars which hold them together, and the wheels and pinions. In poor quality movements the plates will be thick and the wheels and pinions coarser and more roughly cut. In the best examples the pillars will be held in position by hooks which fit into a groove in the part of the pillar that protrudes through the plate; but in specimens of poorer quality the ends of the pillars will be drilled through, and a tapered pin wedged through the hole. The majority of the clocks of this period have eight-day movements ; rarer and more valuable examples will require winding once a month ; while some exceptional and rare movements will go for six or twelve months. One of the features of a high quality movement was the provision for maintaining power, so that the clock continued to go during the operation of winding. The mechanism for maintaining power was brought into action by pulling a cord, and in order that this should not be forgotten before winding, two little shutters closed the holes in the dial, covering the winding squares ; these shutters being drawn back from the apertures by the same cord that brought the maintaining power into operation. Many clocks will have lost their shutters and maintaining power, but a movement originally made with this feature can generally be recognized because the ends of the winding squares do not protrude through the holes in the dial, but will be slightly recessed to allow the shutters, which are at the back of the dial, to slide in front of them. Clocks without the winding holes in the dial are 110 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE 30-hour movements, wound up by pulling the cords or chains of the weights. These are not found dating from the walnut period and are of no interest to the collector. Oak clock-cases also do not belong to this period, oak being used for the cheaper provincial clock-cases made in the last half of the eighteenth century, at which time the clock came into the homes of the lower classes. The weights on a clock of good quality will be encased in brass, whereas, on inferior movements they will be of lead or iron and uncased. The arrangement by which the door of the hood is secured with a bolt, which can only be released by opening the long door, is to ensure that the long door is opened before the winding is started. The person winding will then be able to see the weights, and note when they reach the top of the case, showing that the clock is fully wound. Otherwise, if the weights are not visible, there is a danger of over-winding and of the weights striking the clock-board and straining or breaking the gut. Many clock movements are spurious, the names of famous makers they bear having been engraved on the dials in recent years. A large number of high quality movements of this period have been ruined by the works being renovated and altered. If the back-plate of a clock shows a number of empty holes which originally held pinions, it denotes that some part of the original movement is missing, and this, to a certain degree, depreciates the value. In some cases, close examination will show that an attempt has been made to disguise the absence of original parts by stopping up these holes. This period of clocks with ebony, parquetry, marquetry and walnut cases is the most interesting to the clock collector, as it includes the pro- ductions of the most famous English clockmakers, and the movements are, accordingly, of exceptional interest. From the end of the walnut period to that of the eighteenth century, clock movements declined in quality, especially in the execution and finish of the dials and hands. No fine month or year movements belong to this period, as the clock had now become a standard article of domestic furniture to be found in every home. By the close of the eighteenth century clock movements of high quality were again made, this period being specially of interest for its regulators ; and a number of domestic clocks, dating from the early nineteenth century, exhibit the fine finish and quality of the regulator type. The clocks of this revival have naturally engaged the collector’s attention, although in a lesser degree than the clocks of the walnut period. The cases of the long-case clocks have not been overlooked by the imitator, as he has inlaid many plain walnut examples with spurious panels MARQUETRY FURNITURE III of marquetry. Although a number of genuine seaweed and arabesque marquetry cases will be met with in which the inlay is a dark pattern on a light background, many more spurious examples of this description will be found to-day, owing to the imitator using the ‘‘ contra”’ veneers left over from the cutting, which he employs to decorate a second clock-case. These spurious cases invariably have the pattern symmetrical, because, as already mentioned, this device considerably lessens the labour in cutting and designing the marquetry. The rare type of arabesque marquetry, known as the “ Persian,”’ will also be met with on spurious cases, in fact many more spurious examples of this type exist than genuine ones. Sometimes the imitator, in order to give his marquetry clocks a more genuine appearance, will coat their sur- faces very heavily with thick, opaque varnish to reproduce the condition in which the genuine clocks are occasionally found. In regard to the commercial imitator, his efforts on long-case clocks would appear to be confined to examples of the small long-case clock, known to-day as the “ Grandmother ” clock. Genuine long-case clocks of this small size, especially of the walnut period, are very few and far between ; in fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is doubtful whether half-a-dozen are in existence. ‘The spurious grandmother clocks generally have modern movements,* faked to give them an appearance of age, and the cases will be found in walnut, burr walnut, marquetry, lacquer and mahogany. A number of genuine clocks which in the past had either their bases or the domes of their hoods removed to reduce their height and permit them to stand in low rooms, will be found, to-day, with the bases or the domes restored. The collector should, therefore, carefully examine these parts for restoration, and notice any variation in the cutting of the mar- quetry and also in its surface condition. Sometimes clocks will be found with half the base restored only, whereas in others the whole base will be modern. Many of these will have a crack across the marquetry panel, and the collector should remember the remarks already given on the light colour of the box-wood on its split edges. Many old cases, both in walnut and marquetry, had their patina destroyed by modern polishing, whilst others, as already noted, will be found heavily coated with a thick, opaque varnish. Fortunately, the latter, if carefully removed, does not damage the appearance of the clock to the same extent as those that have had their surfaces scraped and polished. It should be 6¢ * Sometimes old movements obtained from the hood or wall clocks, which have small dials, are used. Genuine examples of these clocks, contemporary with the walnut clocks, are to be found, having thirty-hour movements of poor quality. They are, however, of little value to-day. ry 112 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURN ae PLATE XXI A walnut settee, with the rare feature of masks decorating the s¢ circa 1715. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq PLATE XXII ee ss MARQUETRY FURNITURE 113 noted that genuine examples which have been repolished will not show the furrows between the inlay to the same degree as in the modern marquetry. BRACKET CLOCKS Bracket clocks of the Charles II period, unlike the long-case move- ments, had the bob pendulum with the crown wheel escapement, similar to the earlier lantern clocks ; but the driving power instead of being derived from weights, was obtained from a spring enclosed in a brass barrel. The improved anchor escapement was not adapted to the bracket clock until late in the eighteenth century, although a large number of movements have had the crown-wheel escapement altered at a subsequent date because of its irregularity. The back-plates of the bracket clocks, unlike those of the long-case clocks, are invariably engraved ; examples of the first half of the walnut period have square dials with cases veneered with ebony or with pear- wood ebonized. They are termed “ Basket Top” clocks, being surmounted by a bell-shaped dome which is composed sometimes of wood with brass mounts, whilst others will have the basket top made entirely of brass of pierced design. In some fine and very rare examples the basket-top, mounts and dial will be of silver instead of brass. A few very rare basket- top clocks of this type have survived with tortoise-shell cases or veneered walnut cases, and such examples are much sought after by the collector. In the eighteenth century, the bracket clock, like the long-case clock, had an arched dial (see Plate XL (a and 6)), and the clock was higher and not so square in shape. Examples of this type usually have pear-wood ebonized cases ; and, although in lesser number, specimens with lacquer cases have also survived. The quality of the movements of the early bracket clocks 1s exceptionally fine. Specimens with chiming movements will also be found, but it should be noted that this feature does not enhance their value as it would do if found on the movement of a long-case clock. The imitator does not pay so much attention to the bracket clock as he does to the long-case variety, although he has been known to re-veneer with old walnut veneer the early ebonized case, and, in some instances, has also made marquetry specimens. The transformation of an ebonized bracket clock into a tortoise-shell example is also not a very difficult con- version ; but the imitator is unlikely to copy the genuine English example by making the mouldings of the case in tortoise-shell, as this would incur too much expense, and he therefore retains the ebonized mouldings. Many of the later bracket clocks with the arched dial have been converted into lacquer specimens, but these will be dealt with in the chapter on that subject. H 7 ic ie ene ee , 114 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE ~ Pirate XXIT. a es A two-chair-back walnut settee. Front legs cabriole and te __ lion-paw feet, circa 1735. In the collection of M. Harris PLATE Xxif ee ee) ee PRPPIPIIVITIIDG DIFF 99999 9NS 09H RDD OD DIED DORA D082 ee t@vevpeee® ee + 2 re atk + : eae * “eee > - ¢ xi" f nn : "= er ea : & aA af ‘ ‘ ? “ ws & 477 | ) | 7 MARQUETRY FURNITURE 115 MIRRORS The only mirrors which have survived in any number from the first half of the walnut period have heavy moulded frames with hoods, and are of a similar design to the marquetry example, Plate XIII. These mirrors will be found with the straight-cut walnut veneer, with oyster-shell parquetry, and in marquetry; of the last named the earlier specimens have their frames inlaid with floral marquetry in panels, whilst in others the marquetry design covers the whole frame, similar to the one illustrated. Mirrors of this type are also extant, dating from the reign of William III, decorated with seaweed marquetry in panels. This mirror is found in various sizes, but it was invariably designed with a hood with a shaped top, which, in some cases, was ornamented with a pierced design, whilst in others it was plain. The hoods were fixed with two wooden tongues, which fitted into slots in the back of the frame, but owing to the fragile nature of the hood, the majority of the mirrors will be found with this feature missing. A mirror without its hood is an imperfect specimen, and its value is depreciated in consequence. In proof that the hood is missing, examination of the back of the frame will show the slots into which the tongues originally fitted. Another loss which many of these mirrors have sustained is that of the original Vauxhall mirror-plate. This, also, has a detrimental effect to the mirror’s present-day value, as the old plate with shallow bevelling and dark reflection is in perfect harmony with its walnut frame, whereas the new one, with its clear reflection and sharp bevelling, is out of character. Owing to the fact that many more mirrors of this description have survived with plain walnut frames, many such examples have had their value fictitiously enhanced within recent years by spurious inlay. Other types of mirrors decorated with marquetry are much scarcer to-day, which is perhaps due to the walnut-frame mirror declining in favour in the William and Mary period, when mirrors with gilt, lacquer and glass frames, came into vogue. The mirror with gilt frame must have been particularly popular from 1700 onwards, as a large number of examples dating from the second half of the walnut period are in existence to-day. Lace Boxes AND OTHER ARTICLES DECORATED WITH MARQUETRY An article of which a large number must have been made, as many have survived, is the shallow box with lid, which is known to-day as a lace box. Examples extant are generally decorated either with floral marquetry in panels, or with oyster-shell parquetry. 116 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE A number of draught or chess boards, made in the shape of shallow boxes, which, when folded out flat, form the playing board, are extant decorated with inlay. These are of great rarity, and of considerable value and interest, especially if the draughts or chessmen have also been pre- served. Among other articles treated with marquetry were bellows, but these are only known by two or three existing examples. | Owing to the vogue for marquetry in the late seventeenth century, it must have been used for decorating a number of other articles of domestic furniture which have not, unfortunately, survived in sufficient numbers to warrant their special notice. For instance, the dressing-table with drawers, supported on legs of the type similar to Plate XXXIV (8), is not unknown in marquetry, and there is still a likelihood that among the hidden treasures in England other rare specimens of marquetry furniture will one day come to light. CHAPTER VI QUEEN ANNE AND GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 1702-1745 HE furniture of the latter half of the walnut period, as we know it to-day, is plain in character, with little enrichment by carving or inlay; relying for its decorative effect on good proportion, graceful and elegant form, and on the figure and marking of the wood; exhibiting also, workmanship of the highest quality. Refined and tasteful, it is perhaps of all types of English furniture the most characteristic ; possessing an individuality and artistic beauty that ensures for it a prominent place in the annals of English furniture. The desire for luxury and domestic comfort disclosed in the first half of the walnut period had extended to the upper and middle classes, and was no longer confined to the wealthy. ‘To meet the greater demand for walnut furniture, the use of which now became general, it was made on more standardized lines in considerably larger quantities ; and this explains why most of the veneered walnut furniture existing to-day, dates from the latter half of the walnut period. New types of furniture were introduced ; and the evolution of previous types brought about alterations in design according to the changing fashions. Burr walnut succeeded oyster-shell parquetry, and the use of mar- quetry was now confined to small panels of a restrained design in seaweed or arabesque ; this, however, does not refer to the clock-cases, the pro- duction of which, as already noted, was a craft separate from that of the furniture maker. Carving was confined to decoration on the legs of chairs, stools, settees, and other leg furniture ; also to the decoration of the backs of chairs and settees, for which the carving was executed in a very low relief and applied, as already described, on the surface of the veneer. This limitation of decoration by carving and inlay was compensated for by the fine figure and markings of the wood ; and the skilful arrangement of these natural features is the distinguishing characteristic of the veneered furni- ture. The use of well-defined mouldings, all of which were made from cross-cut walnut, also contributed to the decorative effect. In the previous period all leg furniture, such as chairs, stools, and 117 118 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER Prats XXIII (a) A two-chair-back walnut settee. Arms terminating in eagles’ head ; circa wk 5. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, ner ae (6) A walnut side table with aye of unusual design, circa collection of M. Harris, Esq. % JOE PND DOR 0 QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 119 couches, and the stands of chests and cabinets, had the legs connected by stretchers. One of the important changes that now occurred in furniture design lay in the discarding of these stretchers, an alteration undoubtedly evoked by the development of the cabriole leg, the designers being rightly convinced that the stretcher marred the contour of the leg. During the reign of Queen Anne the cabriole leg was light in design and followed the form and outline of the William and Mary examples. The pied de biche and the scroll foot, the usual terminations for the earliest examples of this leg, were superseded by the square-moulded foot (see Plate XVII (a)); the club foot (see Plate XVIII (a)); and the spade foot, (see Plate XVII (d)). Other variants were made, notably the square- club foot, with which the leg was also square (Plate XXXIII). The legs with these terminations had but little decoration in the way of carving on the knee. Those with the spade foot and the club foot were sometimes decorated with an ornament in the form of husks, but more often with the escallop shell (see Plate XXI). Both motifs, combined together sometimes, were much in vogue during the first thirty years of the eighteenth century ; and the shell was not only extensively used for decorating the knees of cabriole legs, but figures as an ornament on the backs of chairs and settees, on the gilt mirror frames of the period, and also found its way into the design of arabesque marquetry. By the end of Queen Anne’s reign, the cabriole leg, now freed from the stretcher, had a bolder contour, and became heavier and more impor- tant; and with this bolder type of leg the well-known claw-and-ball foot appeared. The now greater breadth of the knee called for more elaborate treatment than it had hitherto received ; and although the shell, in a more ornate form, was extensively used with the claw-and-ball foot, a number of other motifs for decorating the knee were laid under contribution. Acan- thus foliage (see Plate XXII), was one very frequently used, but a more decorative motif was the lion mask* (see Plate XXXII), which made its appearance about 1725. This feature on the knee originated another terminal for the leg, which, when decorated with this mask, invariably ended in a lion’s-paw foot.T The paw-foot was, however, more often employed without the accom- paniment of the mask; and with the claw-and-ball foot, and the earlier * The origin of the lion mask on the knee of the cabriole leg is difficult to surmise. It was most probably an alternative motif to the satyr mask, which is found decorating the knees of the cabriole legs of gilt furniture at this period, and was adapted from the contemporary Louis Quatorze furniture. The satyr mask or “ Indian’s Head,” as it is sometimes called, is not unknown on mahogany furniture, a few exceptional pieces having this rare motif. ¢ There are two varieties of the paw-foot; one similar to that on the card-table, Plate XXXII, and the other of a plainer design, similar to the feet of the settee, Plate XXII. 120 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE club-foot, made the three principal terminals for the cabriole leg from 1725 up to the end of the period; the club-foot being used for the plain and inexpensive furniture. Another “animal” motif introduced about 1715, and therefore prior to the lion mask, was that of the eagle head,* and this was, also, occasionally employed on the knees of cabriole legs (see Plate XXXI (5)). Both the eagle and the lion head were used for the terminations of the arms of chairs and settees; and the eagle head, like the shell, was often employed for the decoration of gilt mirror frames. The elaboration of carved ornament appearing in the furniture of about 1720-5 may have been due to the introduction of mahogany, as the cabinet-makers, realizing what a good medium this wood was for carving, no doubt felt the necessity for further enriching their furniture so that this quality in the new, fashionable wood might be utilized to advantage. This assumption is supported by the fact that the majority of the chairs, settees and stools, on which carved decoration was employed to any extent, are in mahogany and not in walnut. As on the introduction of walnut, chairs were the first articles to be made of it, so they were the first for which walnut was superseded by mahogany; and although walnut chairs were made as late as 1750 in the French taste which was then prevailing, there are many more chairs, dating from 1720 to the end of the period, in mahogany than there are in walnut. Some mahogany examples are, perhaps, before 1720, which would be early for this wood. As already mentioned on page 22, plain veneered walnut furniture, such as bureaux, bureau-bookcases, tallboys, chests-with-drawers, long-case clocks and dressing-tables, unlike the chairs, continued to be made up to the end of the walnut period ; and where there is a paucity of articles made in walnut, they will be found in mahogany, the converse also holding good. When mahogany furniture came into vogue about 1725-30, all the best qualty furniture after this date was made from this wood, leaving the plainer furniture for the less wealthy classes to be made from walnut. Superlative pieces of walnut dating from 1725 to the end of the period are, therefore, exceptional, and, consequently, extremely rare. Gilding, as already noted in Chapter I, was used in a very restrained manner as a means of enriching walnut furniture; but it was confined to the best class of furniture in this period. The carved decoration and the mouldings of a piece were the parts treated with the gilding. * The eagle-head motif, similar to the lion mask, also affected the design of tne foot of the cabriole leg, as on some examples where the knee is decorated with this bird motif, the claws and the leg will be decorated with scaling in imitation of that of a bird (see Plate XXXI (0)). QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 121 Cuairs, STOOLS, SETTEES, AND COUCHES The chair, of all leg furniture, was the last to lose its stretchers, as on tables and stands they were discarded in the early years of the century ; but turned stretchers are found on chairs as late as 1720, although by 1710 the majority were made without them. The high, carved hooped back of the William and Mary chair became lower in the first decade of the eighteenth century, and the splat, side-rails and seat-rails were overlaid with walnut veneer. With the advent of the bolder cabriole leg the front corners of the seat, which, previously, had been angular, now became rounded (see Plate XIX (a) ), and chairs with this seat would appear to have been made up to about 1730. The wooden chair-back settee was an innovation, for in the previous period, as already noted, the couches were not made with wooden backs. These settees were designed with two and three chair-backs; the two- chair-back variety having three legs, and that with the three-chair-backs having four legs in front, these front legs lining with the uprights to the back, as can be seen in the examples illustrated, Plates XXI, XXII, and XXIII (a). The upholstered-back couch of the first half of the walnut period continued to be made in the latter half, the legs following the designs of the chairs, but examples of a later date than 1725 appear to have been confined to mahogany. A variant of this upholstered-back couch was one with dimensions of a very large arm-chair ; and, unlike the ordinary size couches, it had two legs in front instead of three, and the back was lower. This type of small couch has been termed a “ love seat.” Besides the upholstered-back couch, chairs, both single and arm, were made with upholstered backs; and an example is illustrated in Plate XX (a) of an arm-chair, which, owing to its late date, is but rarely found in walnut, most examples of this type being in mahogany. ‘This specimen is covered with needlework, which became very fashionable during the first half of the eighteenth century, entire suites of furniture being upholstered with it, as may be gathered from the particulars of the suite sold at the Wanstead House sale, mentioned on page 18. This needlework was usually of floral design, sometimes of flowers in vases, and, occasionally, with centre panels of figures in landscapes surrounded by floral borders. It varied in quality according to the fineness of the stitch, the coarser stitch being known to-day as gros point, and the finer as petit point; some of this needlework shows the two stitches in combination, the flowers being in the fine, and the back- ground in the coarse stitch, whilst a large quantity will be found in the coarse stitch only. PLATE XXIV A bureau-bookcase overlaid with burr walnut veneer, with the ‘unusu feature of the doors in upper part being glazed with bevelled gla The lower part is fitted with knee-hole and cupboard instead a ae drawers, circa 1725. In the collection of Percival D. sq. 4 PEATE XXIV QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE _ 123 These chairs, stools and settees, both with the wooden and the up- holstered backs, were originally made in suites, consisting of six or a dozen single chairs, two or more arm-chairs, with, perhaps, two or four stools, and two settees. The walnut suite sold at Wanstead House, already referred to, consisted of ten chairs and two settees. The winged arm-chair of this half of the period would appear to have been seldom made in walnut after the introduction of the claw-and-ball foot, as all existing examples with this foot or the paw-foot are usually of mahogany. The earlier type of winged arm-chair with the small cabriole plain legs, sometimes connected by stretchers and ending in the spade-foot, or, as in example illustrated, Plate XVIII (5), in the club-foot, was the type generally made in walnut. Another type of chair in walnut is a small arm-chair, sometimes with upholstered back (see Plate XX (5)), and sometimes with a shaped, solid, veneered back. Such chairs were used for writing, and are known to-day as writing-chairs. Another variety of writing-chair is the corner chair, but this being a type introduced about 1725, few examples are met with in walnut. A variation of this corner chair had a shaped, and generally, solid splat fitted on to the back, similar to Plate XVIII (a). Chairs of this descrip- tion, called barber’s chairs, were used for the purpose of shaving, the high splat forming a support for the head. The best examples of these two types of chairs have all four legs cabriole, similar to the example illustrated, but the more usual variety has only one cabriole leg in front, the remaining three being straight and ending in club-feet. PRESENT-DAY CONDITION OF CHAIRS, STOOLS, SETTEES, AND COUCHES These articles will rarely be met with in sets as originally made. A set of six chairs is of considerable value, to-day, especially if the legs termi- nate in the claw-and-ball feet, and the knees are decorated with carving. As already mentioned, the collector is much more likely to find such a set in mahogany. The single chairs, like those of the early period, are usually found either as single specimens or in pairs; the arm-chairs are less likely to be met with, and then only singly. ‘The settees are rarer than the arm-chairs, and of considerable value to-day. ‘The three-chair-back example is a still more difficult piece to find; in fact, judging from its scarcity to-day, it could have been but seldom made. Of the upholstered-back couch, a number must have been made in the first twenty-five years of the century, but few have survived, and these, as already stated, have the small plain cabriole leg, sometimes connected by stretchers. 124 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE The chairs, stools, and settees with the claw-and-ball terminal to the cabriole leg and the carved knee, are naturally of greater value and interest to-day than the plainer type with the club-foot. Examples with the paw- foot are still rarer and more highly esteemed, while those with carved masks or eagles’ heads decorating the knees of the cabriole legs are of great rarity and value, and only a few walnut stools, chairs, and settees with these motifs are known to exist. The presence of a lion or eagle head on the ends of the arms of a settee or chair, although not such a rare feature, especially the eagle head, as a mask on the leg, is another factor that adds considerably to the value of an example. The furniture which is decorated with such bird or beast motifs represents the best and most costly furniture of its time, as such features are hardly ever to be found on pieces of poor quality. The fact that so few examples have survived in walnut, and that the majority are in mahogany, again proves how the cabinet-makers favoured the latter wood for their best furniture, and only used walnut for such pieces occasionally. In comparison, the walnut specimens are markedly superior as regards decorative value, especially when they have the wooden splat-back; the golden colour and marking of the walnut having a far richer effect than the dark, plain Spanish mahogany used at that time. The higher-quality chairs and settees have the splats of the back and the rails veneered with burr walnut, whereas, lower-quality examples will be overlaid with the straight-cut veneer. Unfortunately, a number of these chairs and settees have suffered from modern polishing, and these, with other walnut furniture similarly treated, are thereby depreciated in value. Examples with the original needlework coverings are seldom to be found, although a number of chairs, settees, and stools have had their seats covered in contemporary needlework which has been restored and made to fit the articles within recent years. ‘The presence of such old needlework, if not too much restored, on a chair, stool, or settee, adds considerably to its value; but the collector should be wary of the chair or couch covered with a piece of old needlework which has been extended so that it covers the back, seat and arms, whereas, before this increase in size, it was hardly large enough to cover the seat. Owing to the scarcity of old English needle- work to-day, a number of chairs and couches have been upholstered in eighteenth-century Dutch needlework, which is generally in the coarse stitch, with a disjointed floral design of small birds and figures ; the colour- ing is bad, bright reds and blues predominating, with none of the attractive harmonious colourings of the English. Beside the much-restored and the extended needlework covering, a very large quantity of gros and petit point needlework, reproduced from the QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 125 old, is made at the present day ; and this is used for upholstering not only spurious but genuine examples. It differs from the old needlework in its colouring ; the imitator, in order to produce an appearance of age, uses silks which are specially dyed to match the colours of the old work. He is unconcerned by the probability that his modern needlework will fade ; and, in consequence, after a short time, the colours made to match the old work have faded to a lighter tone. Old needlework is never found with the colourless appearance of the modern reproduction, in fact, in many genuine pieces, the colouring is quite fresh. There is also a difference in the drawing of the figures in an old piece, compared with the modern, especially notice- able in the faces and hands; and the old needlework is hard and stiff, whereas the modern is soft and pliant. Spurious examples of chairs, settees, couches, and stools are likely to be encountered, not only of entirely new construction, but genuine examples will be found with their value fictitiously increased by various devices. One favourite expedient is to carve the ends of the arms of a plain chair with eagles’ heads; the corner chair is generally chosen for this deception, as the plain arm terminates in a round flat scroll which affords sufficient material for carving this feature. Owing to the rarity of the walnut arm- chair, the imitator uses the mahogany examples, of which a large number have survived. Although the commerical imitator makes sets of walnut hoop-back chairs and settees, his more skilled confrére confines his atten- tion to the upholstered varieties of these articles, and has particularly favoured in the past the couch, chair, and stool with the lion mask. This type of fake has attained such notoriety that the market is no longer recep- tive, and the imitator has, consequently, turned his attention to earlier types, often using marquetry inlay instead of carving, as already mentioned. Concerning the stool of this period, the collector must bear in mind the spurious example that, like that of the stool in the earlier period, has been made from the front legs of two single chairs. A pair of single chairs with upholstered backs were not so saleable in the past as one stool. The made-up stools of this period, of which many are about, can be detected, because the front leg of a chair is set at an acute angle, the front of the seat being wider than the back, while on a stool the legs are made at right angles. The chair legs when they are fitted on to a stool will, therefore, have the wings of the legs running under the seat-rail and will not line with the front edge of it. Stools should always be scrutinized for evidence of this deception, for while this adaptation is no longer feasible, owing to the scarcity of the genuine chairs, a number of such stools made in the past will be met with, generally of the type with the upholstery over the seat-rail, similar to Plate XVII (a). 126 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XXV A narrow bureau writing-cabinet of very unusual design, overlaid with burr walnut veneer, supported on short cabriole legs, ending in claw and ball feet. The carved enrichment to the cornice and pediment and the capitals of the pilasters are of limewood and gilt. The door panel is fitted with a bevelled mirror plate, circa 1735. (This piece is of exceptional quality and in very fine preservation. The carcase is made of English oak and the drawer linings are of walnut wood. This latter feature is very unusual and is but seldom found in large drawers of walnut pieces, although it will be met with in the small drawers of toilet mirrors, etc.) In the collection of Captain W. F. Dickinson. PLATE XXV ee PED ws Hw QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 127 The making of an upholstered-back couch from an upholstered-back arm-chair is another fraud that has been successfully carried out, judging from the number of spurious couches of this description that are to be found. The four legs and the arms of the chair will be utilized, the only visible part lacking being the middle front leg. This the imitator some- times reproduces, whilst on other occasions he omits it altogether. Any couch or settee equal in width to two chairs, if genuine, will always have the centre front leg. Examples, therefore, without this leg are either spurious, or, if genuine, the leg has been damaged and lost ; in which case examination of the under-framing will show that it once existed. To avoid the difficulty of the front leg the imitator often makes from a chair, the rare, small love-seat, which, as already described, has no centre leg; but genuine seats of this description will have short legs similar to that of the winged arm-chair,* and not the taller leg of the chair or settee. Such examples of couches and love-seats should always be very carefully examined by the collector before purchasing. The exposed seat- rails will be of old beech, or, if made from modern, will be faked to give them an appearance of age. A useful test for these articles is, if possible, to examine the framework of the back and arms for any signs of the marks of the band- or circular-saw, for the imitator does not generally go to the trouble of removing all traces of such marks from the framework, which being covered by the upholstery will, in all probability, escape inspection. A number of single chairs will be found converted into arm-chairs by the addition of spurious arms, as the arm-chair is not only more valuable than the single but far more saleable. To detect such a chair will not, however, require much circumspection, as owing to its narrow seat and back it will lack the proportions of the genuine arm-chair. Many arm-chairs and stools which were originally made as night commodes have had the deep apron pieces of the seat-rails cut away, thus converting them into the ordinary specimens. The new stained and raw surface of the underside of the seat-rail will indicate that this conversion has been carried out. The imitator in making chairs with the wooden splat back, will in most cases, to save expense, vary the construction of the shoe piece, which holds the splat in position on the back seat-rail, from that found on the genuine chair. The latter will have the splat and the shoe-piece separate, and the line where they join can be distinctly seen on examining the chair at the back. The imitator makes the seat-rail and shoe-piece in one, and to disguise the fact sometimes represents the join by a gouged line. * The reason that the winged arm-chair, upholstered-back couch and love-seat have short legs is owing to their seats being fitted with squabs, and this increased height in the upholstery necessitated a reduction in the height of the leg. PLATE XXVI The interior of the top part and bureau of the writing-cabinet ilh lustr Plate XXV. | a PLATE XXVI aes f 7 ‘ - - rites i e, ie 4 N QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 129 TABLES The popular type of oblong table of the seventeenth century appears to have declined in favour in this half of the walnut period. A type of table that has survived from this latter half, and somewhat resembles the earlier oblong table, is that with a drawer in one side and round legs terminating in club-feet. The folding-top table, also met with, has similar legs. Both these types, however, exist in such small numbers that they could not have been as popular as the earlier oblong table. In the reign of William III, the table known as the side table was introduced, but as the early specimens of this type, sometimes with scroll legs or heavy tapered legs,* connected by stretchers, are known, to-day, by only a few surviving examples, consideration of these tables has been deferred until this chapter. The early eighteenth-century examples are small in size, with cabriole legs ending in either the club, the spade, or the claw-and-ball foot. Such small examples will be found in walnut; but the larger type of this table, which was a very popular piece of furniture from 1725 to 1750, will be met with in mahogany, and but seldom in walnut. A very rare side-table of large size is illustrated, Plate XXIII (5); the type of leg on this table is sometimes found on chairs and stools, and would appear to date about 1720. The early side tables of the reigns of William and Mary and Queen Anne had wooden veneered tops, whereas those from the reign of George I onwards had marble tops.t ‘The earlier marble tops had their edges moulded, unlike the later tops, which had the edges square in section. The oval gate-legged table in this period had developed into the table with the oval top and cabriole legs. Such tables, however, like the gate- legged tables, are hardly ever met with in walnut. Early examples with a carved shell on the knee, dating about 1720, or even earlier, were made of mahogany. With the exception of the oblong table, the other variety with the folding-top and the side table, no other walnut tables of this period, appear to have been made in any quantity. * An interesting side table with scroll legs and veneered walnut top, dating from the last years of the seventeenth century, is to be seen in the Royal apartments at Hampton Court. An unusual feature of this table is that the scroll legs, which are made of soft wood, are painted and grained in imitation of walnut. An analogous expedient to accentuate poorly marked and figured walnut veneer was to represent the markings by dark painted lines. + Tables with marble tops could not have been unknown in the reign of William III, as Celia Fiennes, in her diary, Through England on a Side Saddle, mentions that at Hampton Court she saw two marble tables. These, presumably, were tables with marble tops on wooden stands ; but whether the latter were walnut or gilt, English or Foreign, it is impossible to conjecture. Judging from existing examples, however, the table with marble top does not appear to have come into general use until the time mentioned. I 130 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE Carp ‘TABLES In the early years of the eighteenth century the turned and tapered legs of the circular folding-top card table of the William and Mary period were superseded by slender cabriole legs ending in spade-feet, and the stretchers were also discarded. ‘The next type of card table was designed with a square top with projecting circular corners. The top overhung the ‘frieze by two or three inches, and the legs were slender and cabriole, ending in club-feet. ‘The four corners of the open top were made with circular sunk compartments for candlesticks, and shallow wells for counters were also fitted. By about 1720 the cabriole legs of this table became bolder ; and the frame of the table was made larger, so that the projection of the top over the frieze was reduced (see example illustrated, Plate XXXI(6)). In these later tables the front corners of the frieze were circular, following out the shape of the top, whereas in the Queen Anne examples they were square. Of this type of card table a number of fine-quality examples have survived, the legs ending in claw-and-ball or lion-paw feet, and the knees being carved with one of the various motifs already described. By about 1735 the design of the card table underwent a further change, the top now having square corners in place of the earlier circular ones. On these tops the compartments for the candlesticks are square and not circular. The ‘* square-corner ”’ card table is but seldom found in walnut, as it was intro- duced at too late a date for many examples to be made from this wood. ‘The example, illustrated, Plate XXXII, of about 1735, has a serpentine front, which was another new feature introduced about this time, and which became extremely popular in the furniture of the latter half of the eighteenth century. The folding leaf in these card tables is generally supported by one of the back legs, which is hinged on to the framework ; but in some cases the leaf is upheld by two legs so that the top, when open, has a leg under each corner; and this arrangement, which is known as the “ concertina,” adds both interest and value to an example. A table with cabriole front legs, ending in claw-and-ball feet, also has an additional value if the back legs have the same termination. In the majority of such card tables the back — legs have the club-foot. 3 Another rare type of folding-top card table, of which a few examples have survived, is one with a triangular-shaped top with a leg at each corner, and a fourth leg at the back which swings out to support the hinged leaf, the top, when opened, forming a square. The legs of this table are tri- angular in section and slightly cabriole. This type of table would appear QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 131 to date from the latter years of Queen Anne’s reign, and was made in both small and large sizes. Although the majority of the card tables of this period appear to have been made in the standard size of about 3 feet in width, a few have survived of smaller dimensions, and these, owing to their rarity to-day, are more highly prized. Sometimes these tables will be found with veneered tops instead of the top covered with material ; such examples were presumably made for occasional tables in a room and not for card playing. Originally, it would appear to have been the fashion to make many of these card tables in pairs, as a number of pairs, both in walnut and mahogany, have survived ; in such cases, the value to-day of a pair of tables is more than double that of a single example. The original covering to the top of a walnut card table was usually of velvet, which was pasted on to the top, and framed on the edges with narrow metal braid held in place by small brass-headed nails. The green baize top was not introduced until later in the eighteenth century. Besides the velvet it was the fashion to line the top of the card table with needle- work, and a few rare examples with this covering have survived. The collector will find that the genuine walnut card table which has not been French polished is by no means an easy piece to find; and this is true not only of the more ornate examples with claw-and-ball feet, but also of the earlier, plainer type. He is much more likely to meet with mahogany examples, which exist to-day in far larger numbers. BUREAUX AND BUREAU-BOOKCASES The introduction of the bureau-with-drawers in the reign of William and Mary has already been noted in Chapter IV. From the design of the earlier bureaux of this type they would not appear to be of a date prior to 1690, and such early examples dating from William the Third’s reign are to-day of distinct rarity compared with the very large number that have survived from the first forty-five years of the eighteenth century. The bureau of the late seventeenth century differs in several features from that of the eighteenth century. The earliest examples of the former have the bureau wider than the base with drawers, as the bureau will be found to overhang the sides of the base by an inch or two. An example of this can be seen in the small bureau-on-stand, Plate XXVII (a). This feature seems to be peculiar to the seventeenth-century bureau, as it is not found on those of the early eighteenth century. Another feature of the seventeenth- century example is that the bureau and the base with drawers are in separate parts. In the later bureau of the Queen Anne period they were in one, 132 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE ras . PAE eS OF. +2% Aw 4 i v4 a ha PLATE XXVII (6) A bureau overlaid with burr walnut veneer supported on turned a and tapered legs, circa 1710. ae (a) A bureau overlaid with walnut veneer supported « on nen serpentine stretcher, civca 1685. In the collection of Robert 7 re PLATE XXVII : n ; | QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 133 although an early example will still retain the moulding between the base and the bureau which originated to hide the join between the two (see Plate XXXVIII). The majority of the bureaux-with-drawers will be found about 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches in width, whereas rarer and smaller examples will measure about 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches. The walnut bureau-bookcase, that is, the bureau-with-drawers sur- mounted by a bookcase with folding doors, has survived also in large numbers, although not to the same extent as the bureau. The bureau-bookcase will also be found with the two early features already described in the bureau. The designs for the treatment of the cornice to the upper part were varied. Some examples have a straight cornice similar to Plate XXIV, whilst other examples have a double-dome top, Plate XXXVIII, or a shaped curved top, similar to Plate XX XIX. Others, again, are found with a broken- arch pediment top, and another design, although extremely rare in walnut pieces, is the swan-neck pediment, similar to Plate XXV. A favourite method of decorating the panels in the doors of the book- case was with mirrors, for many such examples have survived ; but lower quality and cheaper examples had walnut panels that were much less costly than the mirror plates. The tops of the panels of the doors followed out the design of the cornice, as examples with the straight cornice will have oblong panels, and examples with the dome cornice will have the panels shaped similar to the example illustrated. Like the bureaux, these bureau- bookcases were made in two sizes, the majority 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches, and a smaller size ranging from 2 feet or under to 2 feet 6 inches. Most of the smaller variety had one door in the top part, similar to example, Plate XXV, although a number have survived with two doors, similar to the larger examples. A feature which is unusual both in the bureau and the bureau-bookcase is for the base to be fitted with a pedestal with small drawers on each side and a cupboard in the recess, similar to example illus- trated, Plate XXIV. Another unusual feature, mainly confined to the bureau-bookcase, is for the base to have cupboards instead of drawers. The early bureau-bookcases generally have their doors hung with the centre-pin hinge and not with the butt hinge. Sometimes examples are met with having brass butterfly hinges with shaped and engraved leaves. The collector who is desirous of buying either of these two pieces will not encounter any difficulty in finding genuine specimens, but he should make his selection from those which have good patina and quality. The latter will be determined, to a large extent, by the presence of burr walnut veneer instead of the more usual straight-cut variety. The linings of the drawers should be of oak and the top edges of the sides of the drawers should be rounded and carefully finished off. The back of the drawer PiaTE XXVIII (5) A walnut tripod table with legs terminating in Nonna feet, circa 173 In the collection of Capt. W. F. Dickinson. / (a) A bureau overlaid with burr walnut veneer on cabaale club feet, circa 1735. In the collection of Percival D. G PLATE XXVIII ad QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 135 front should also be of oak and not deal. Specimens with mirror plates in the panels of the doors are much more desirable than those with the walnut panels ; but it is essential that the mirror plates should be the original ones, as a number of bureau-bookcases will be found with new plates, especially the smaller type with a single door. The old plate can be recognized by its shallow bevelling and dark reflection, and the plate itself will be thin and not thick, as in the modern glass. To judge whether glass is thick or thin, if a coin or other object is placed touching the glass, the distance between it and its reflection on the mercury at the back will denote the thickness of the plate. The modern mirror plate will not only be much thicker and its reflection whiter, but the surface of the bevelling when viewed at an angle will show distinctly the marks or scratches of the emery wheel across the bevel. In the original bevel, which will have been worked by hand, no such marks will be perceptible. The imitator is not able to obtain the dark reflection on his new mirror plate because he cannot make the glass a dark colour, as it is the glass itself that gives the dark reflec- tion, and not the mercury on the back. Another point of difference is that the old mirror plates have silvered backs, whereas the modern have painted backs. Not only does the imitator replace the broken mirrors in the genuine bureau-bookcase, but he will, to enhance the value of those with wooden panels, substitute mirror plates for the wooden panels. Many bureau-bookcases will be found to-day with the silvering removed from the mirror plate, so that the top part can be used as a china cabinet. Such a procedure destroys the appearance of the piece, as a plain sheet of glass breaks up the design and is not in good taste. A few very rare bureau- bookcases have survived with plain glass instead of mirrors, and such an example is illustrated in Plate XXIV. In this case it will be noted that the door panel is formed into two portions by a cross-bar, the original designer recognizing how injurious to the proportion of the piece it would be if the panel was not divided. The bureau-bookcase or bureau is not an article which the imitator has paid much attention to; he does not make spurious imitations of new construction owing to the quantity of genuine examples that have survived. He has, however, been known to surmount a bureau with a top part which he has come across separated from its original bureau. In order to carry out this adaptation he will have to remove the walnut veneer from the top of the bureau; and he will, also, have to surround its front edge and two sides with a cross-banded moulding, within which the top part will rest. One test that shows this adaptation to have been carried out is the presence of worm burrows along the surface of the deal top. The worm works in the interior and not on the surface of a piece of wood, and 1336 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE if its borings are visible, it is due to their being revealed by the removal of the veneer that previously concealed them. ‘These worm burrows are also accentuated because the imitator in planing down the deal top to eradicate the marks of the toothed plane, with which the carcases of all veneered furniture were scribed to give a key for the veneer, removes the outer surface of the wood, and discloses the borings. SMALL BUREAUX-ON-STANDS One of the earliest examples of this piece is illustrated in Plate XXVII (a), and this specimen not only has the turned legs of the late Charles II period, but also the early feature of the overlapping bureau top. In design, the legs of the stand of the bureau follows out that of the leg furniture already described. The round tapered leg, similar to those of the bureau illustrated, Plate XXVII (6), is about 1700, and one with the cabriole leg ending in the club-foot, Plate XXVIII (a), is about 1735. Other walnut bureaux are known with the claw-and-ball foot, and examples of a later date than 1735 are to be found generally in mahogany. In the early specimens the stand and the bureau were separate, whereas in the later bureaux they were in one; although it is not unusual to find mahogany examples in two parts similar to the early specimens. Judging from existing examples of this small bureau-on-stand, it would appear to be a piece that was specially favoured by the well-to-do, as lower-priced examples of inferior quality have not survived. The bureau-with-drawers and bureau- bookcase, on the contrary, are met with to-day in varying degrees of quality ; showing that the cabinet-makers made these articles to suit the needs of their various customers. Genuine specimens of this small bureau-on-stand are highly prized and much sought after, and, as already mentioned, a very large number of spurious ones have been made. The secretaire with knee-hole and let-down front, similar to example illustrated, Plate XXXVI (a), is a piece that would appear to have been first made in the reign of William III, but examples later than 1725 do not appear to have survived. ‘To-day, it is a piece that is not often encountered, and therefore could not have been made in anything like the numbers of the bureau or bureau-bookcase. } The knee-hole pedestal writing-table in walnut is a very rare piece of furniture at the present time, in fact, from the small number of such pieces that have survived it could be said that this table was hardly ever made up to the end of the walnut period ; and the majority of the existing examples extant are in mahogany, and not in walnut. Several writing-tables similar QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 137 to the example illustrated, Plate X XIX, of very large dimensions, are extant, and these would not appear to be of an earlier date than 1725. They are not of very high quality like the contemporary mahogany examples, and were most probably made originally for libraries of large country houses. ‘The small pedestal table (see Plate XXXIV (a)), with the walnut top, must not, however, be included amongst these writing-tables, as, not having a leather or velvet top, they were undoubtedly originally made as dressing-tables. The scarcity throughout the walnut period of all pieces of furniture for writing, with the exception of the bureau-with-drawers, the bureau- bookcase, and, in a lesser degree, the writing-cabinet with fall-down front, is an indication that these three articles of furniture were the only pieces used to any great extent for the purpose; in fact, from the large number of the bureaux and bureau-bookcases that have survived it would appear that very few households among the upper and middle classes were without one of these articles. WALNUT CABINETS AND BOOKCASES The plain type of walnut cabinet, generally measuring about 3 feet 6 inches in width, with glazed doors supported on base with cupboard, has survived from this half of the period. The doors are glazed with square panes separated by heavy moulded bars, similar to the top part of the bureau-bookcase, Plate XXIV. A few surviving cabinets of this type are plain, with straight tops and no elaborate features ; and such cabinets were most probably used for housing china or ornaments rather than books. The walnut bookcases, of which a few are extant, are similar in design to the one illustrated, Plate XXX. Such examples have a low base, generally composed of drawers, with a tall upper part enclosed by two glazed doors. The later bookcase with wings, of the latter part of George the Second’s reign, is generally known to-day by examples in mahogany and not in walnut. The cabinet-with-doors, so favourite an article in the time of Charles II and William and Mary, as already mentioned, is not found in this half of the period. A piece with panelled doors on a base with drawers,* however, is met with, but this is higher than the former cabinets and was most probably the forerunner of the familiar mahogany wardrobe, which was made in large numbers from the middle of the eighteenth century. This piece is sometimes found with the top drawer in the base made into a secretaire, the back of the drawer being fitted with pigeon-holes and small drawers. * The value of this piece has often been fictitiously enhanced by the addition of spurious marquetry. PLATE XXIX A large walnut, aoukonidee pedal ‘writing-table, circa a 173 Sailecita of Sir John Prestige. PLATE XXIX Sse a ia Scene 5 oe Saas QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE § 139 CORNER CUPBOARDS The corner-cupboard was an article that appears to have been first made in England in the early part of the eighteenth century, and examples dating up to 1730 are found in walnut. Such examples, which are very rare, have solid and not glazed doors. The tops are sometimes straight and sometimes decorated with a broken-arch pediment. The rarity of this piece of furniture in walnut is accounted for by the fact that corner- cupboards up to 1745 were generally fixtures in the room and made in deal with the wainscotting. Early examples in mahogany or walnut were not, therefore, often made. A type of Dutch walnut corner-cupboard with glazed doors, sometimes decorated with marquetry, must not be mistaken by the collector for an English specimen. CHESTS-WITH-DRAWERS AND CHESTS-ON-STANDS The walnut chest-with-drawers was made in considerable numbers throughout the second half of the walnut period and even later. Examples are met with to-day in two sizes, the larger size 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches, and the smaller size 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches in width. ‘The best examples are those with oak-lined drawers and decorated with burr walnut, the poorer quality having straight-cut veneer and deal linings. A number of foreign chests will be met with in this country, and these can generally be recognized by the fact that the side of the chest is decorated with a fielded panel, whereas the English examples have their sides plain. The early chest-on-stand of this period is supported on slender cabriole legs, similar to the example illustrated, Plate XXXIII. Later chests have bolder legs, and sometimes have the knees decorated with an escallop shell. Very few examples have survived with claw-and-ball feet, as this piece of furniture was originally intended for a bedroom, and was not, therefore, a piece often made in an elaborate fashion. Generally, the chests have straight tops similar to the example illustrated, but more important specimens have survived with the broken-arch top. Some of the later examples will have the corners of the chest and stand canted and decorated with fluting ; but this feature is unlikely to appear on a chest of a date prior to 1730. As already mentioned these chests and chests-on-stands were made in walnut right up to 1745, and examples of the chest even later, and but few of them will be found in mahogany. The dates of existing examples can be determined by the mouldings on or round the drawer fronts as in other drawer furniture of this period ; and the remarks given in Chapter IV, concerning the legs to the stands, and the number that have had their patina destroyed by modern polishing, also 140 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XXX A bookcase veneered with walnut, circa 1725. In the collection of Sir John Prestige. PLATE XX QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 141 refer to these eighteenth-century specimens. ‘The variation in quality of both these articles is very noticeable, the earlier ones being usually of better quality than the later specimens. Many chests of poor quality will be found with the front only veneered and the sides formed by the carcase. The mouldings on the sides will also be worked in the solid and not cross- banded with walnut. Such pieces are of considerably less value now than those with the sides veneered and with cross-banded mouldings. TALLBOYS OR DOUBLE CHESTS The tallboy or double chest was a piece introduced in the early years of the eighteenth century. The earlier and rarer specimens are lower than the later examples, and the cornice has a cushion frieze with drawer similar to that on the writing-cabinet, Plate XII. Later examples are taller and have canted corners decorated with fluting, as sometimes found on the chest-on- stand. A decorative feature also met with on the tallboy is that the bottom drawer and plinth moulding are shaped and decorated with a niche inlaid with a star design. Some tallboys, similar to the chests-on-stands, will have the broken-arch top, but these are far rarer than those with the straight top. The later chests dating from 1740 have the ogee bracket instead of the plain bracket foot, and examples with such feet are generally found with the corners of the front canted. Another feature, found in some of these pieces, is a slide on which to brush clothes, which is pulled out from the lower part just above the top drawer. In some cases the two portions of the tallboy will have become separated and will be found converted into separate chests-with-drawers. Such chests will have been fitted with plain, unveneered tops, and the chest formed from the top portion will have had a plinth and bracket feet added to it. The notes just given concerning variations in quality of the chests- with-drawers and chests-on-stands also refer to tallboys. Many tallboys, especially of the later type, have survived, but this piece of furniture is not considered so valuable as the chest-on-stand, not having the lightness in design of the latter article. DRESSING- TABLES The small dressing-tables on legs and the pedestal dressing-table, similar to the two examples illustrated, Plate XXXIV (a and 3b), have both survived in considerable numbers in walnut from this half of the period. As already mentioned neither of these articles are likely to be found of a greater width than 3 feet. 142 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE Like the legs of the chairs, the legs of the former table altered in design throughout this period, the earlier examples having slender cabriole legs, and the later the bolder cabriole, sometimes ending in a claw-and-ball foot similar to the rare specimen illustrated. The majority of these dressing- tables, however, are not likely to be found with legs of such an elaborate character, generally having the plain cabriole, ending in the club-foot, and, if ornamented at all, usually with a shell on the knee. As already mentioned, both these types of tables were undoubtedly intended for dressing-tables and not for writing-tables, as none of them originally had the top covered in velvet or leather. Examples with such tops have been converted at a later date to make them more convenient for use as writing-tables. Owing to their small size and inconvenience either as writing or dressing- tables, and also to the number that have survived, these tables are not very highly esteemed to-day, unless they have some unusual or ornate feature. Both these tables will be found in mahogany, especially the pedestal table, but these, like the other plain contemporary furniture in this wood, do not compare in decorative value with the walnut specimens. Owing to the absence of a genuine walnut dressing-table of convenient size, the imitator has supplied the want by a fictitious example made from the stand of a chest-with-drawers. He veneers the top; but, as already noted, the original legs of these stands being generally missing, he supplies new legs of an elaborate character, also cutting away the shaped apron-piece under the centre drawer to give space for the knees of the user. So much of this converted stand is modern that the collector should not have much difficulty in recognizing the imitator’s handiwork ; but he should in any case be wary of dressing-tables on legs which measure more than 3 feet in width, as it is highly improbable that they are genuine. TRIPOD FURNITURE The tripod table of the late seventeenth century developed in the eighteenth century into one similar to the example shown,* of about 1735, Plate XXVIII (4). This type of table with tripod foot must have become very fashionable in the second quarter of the eighteenth century, as many examples, both plain and decorated, have survived. ‘Tables in walnut of this type, whether plain or decorated, however, could have been but seldom made, the cabinet-maker perhaps being deterred, as with the gate-leg table, * Between these two varieties, however, there is a transitional type still retaining the scroll leg of the earlier tripod foot. Very few of these large tripod tables with scroll legs have survived, although Hogarth portrays several such tables in his pictures. These were most probably mahogany examples and not walnut. QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE 143 by the difficulty of obtaining sufficiently large planks of walnut, after the sap wood had been cut away, to form a top of any size. The making of a solid walnut top in several pieces would not be satisfactory, as owing to the nature of the walnut wood it was liable to warp and split. This has happened to the walnut top of the example shown, as to prevent warping it was glued down on an oak foundation, now the only part of the top remaining. In the mahogany examples this difficulty would not occur, as sufficiently large pieces of mahogany could be obtained to turn the top out in one piece. The tops of the more important mahogany examples were sometimes decorated with the familiar pie-crust edge, but the cheaper tables had the edge either finished with a turned rim or left quite plain. Besides this tripod table a type of tall stand with tripod foot was made, presumably, to hold candlesticks. These stands, generally measuring 4 feet to 4 feet 6 inches in height, had gallery tops to retain the candlestick in its place, and the stem was decorated with turning and sometimes fluting, similar to the tables. Examples of these in walnut are, however, of extreme rarity, and the majority of existing specimens, which date from 1730 to the end of the period and later, will be found in mahogany. These candlestands, often met with in pairs, are very highly valued and much sought after. Spurious examples are generally in mahogany, and a certain number of them have had their carving enriched with gilding. This eighteenth century stand is taller than the earlier variety with twisted stem, already described and illustrated. FIRE SCREENS, CHEVAL AND TRIPOD POLE STANDS The cheval fire screen of the type illustrated, Plate XXXV (a), was first made in the reign of William III. The early specimens usually have the cresting to the frame, containing the needlework panel, elaborately decorated with carved and pierced foliage. Such examples, however, are but seldom English, as they nearly always contain Dutch or Flemish panels of needle- work, the English example of this type being much rarer. These screens of the eighteenth century are plain in design, similar to the example illus- trated; the majority, however, are generally in mahogany. Many spurious screens of the early elaborate type have been made within recent years by the imitator, who mounts in the frames genuine panels of needle- work. The present-day value of the cheval screen depends to a great extent upon the fineness of the stitch of the needlework and also upon whether it is a floral or a figure subject, the latter, similar to the example illustrated, being by far the more valuable. vas = PLaTE XXXI oy ine 4 te ey (a) A walnut circular-top card table, supported on turned and tapered legs connected by stretchers, circa 1700. In the collection of J. Thursby — Pelham, Esq. ee (6) A walnut card table with the knees of cabriole legs : eagles’ heads, circa 1725. In the collection of Percival L Esq. | . : Rent PLATE XXXI 7 i i? a a _ 7 7 7\ ; ‘ ~ -. = iy ie rei a g's > - n , 4 . A oy ee Se eS o, taeae r * + . . QUEEN ANNE & GEORGIAN WALNUT FURNITURE = 145 All these screens were made so that the frame containing the needle- work could be raised and lowered, it being made to run in grooves in the two side supports. The tripod pole screen, similar to the tripod table, is but seldom found in walnut, the majority extant being in mahogany. Specimens in the latter wood, dating from about 1730 onwards, have survived in considerable numbers, both with the decorated tripod foot and stem, and also with the plain tripod foot. The earlier and rarer examples in walnut are generally smaller in the spread of the tripod foot, and have the knee of the leg carved with a shell, as example illustrated, Plate XX XV (d). Many tripod stands of these pole screens have been transformed within recent times into tables. Such a conversion is easily recognized by the fact that the stand of a screen, being lower than that of a table, will have a piece added on to bring it up to table height. The stem of a tripod table, on the contrary, will always be in one piece ; and, if otherwise, it can be definitely assumed that it is a pole-stand converted. WALNUT MIRRORS The mirror with walnut frame does not appear to have been much favoured in the eighteenth century, being replaced, as already stated, by the more popular gilt-framed mirror. The most usual type of walnut mirror in the reign of Queen Anne and George I is tall and narrow, with shaped top and hood. ‘The frames are sometimes of half-round section, or flat with moulded edges, and similar to the earlier mirrors ; many of this type have lost their hoods. Besides this mirror, another type, dating from the reigns of George I and George II, has an architectural character, with swan-neck or broken pediment top, and shaped frame. ‘The mouldings and ornamentation to the mirror are of gilt, but the frame will be found overlaid with either walnut or mahogany veneer, and more often with the latter. The imitator does not pay much attention to walnut mirrors of this period, with the exception of the very rare overmantel mirror with a walnut frame. ‘These mirrors were intended to rest on the chimneypiece, and were designed with a horizontal mirror divided into three plates surmounted by an oil-painting depicting a landscape or still-life subject. The genuine example is but seldom found; but many imitations have been made, an old picture being utilized for the purpose. Another type of overmantel mirror is one with three plates as described above, but without the decorative feature of the picture surmounting it. This mirror is but seldom found with a walnut frame, most examples being K 146 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE framed in a narrow gilt gesso moulding. Owing to their ready sale to-day, the imitator has made many spurious examples, sometimes of the type with projecting square corners, the mouldings being gilt, and the frame veneered with walnut. Examination of the backs of these mirror frames will disclose the faked surface of the deal or pine, very unlike the mature surface of the genuine specimen. ‘To hide the new wood the imitator will paint and coat it with dark stain and varnish ; but if the surface is tested by an incision with a penknife, as described on page 45, the spurious nature of the piece will be disclosed. The remarks concerning the bevelling and the painted back of the new mirror plate given on page 135 should also be remembered. "rin, BEDSTEADS The upholstered bed of the previous period would appear to have remained in favour for the first twenty-five or thirty years of the eighteenth century. An example of an upholstered bed is portrayed in one of Hogarth’s pictufes of ‘‘ Marriage 4 la mode.” When mahogany began to be used for furniture-making, this uphol- stered type was superseded by the mahogany bedstead, with plain, fluted front posts; the latter again becoming a decorative feature, as they had been in the earlier oak beds. These early mahogany four-post bedsteads, however, still retained the shaped and moulded cornice to the tester top covered with the upholstering fabric like the previous bedstead. The posts of the mahogany bedsteads grew more elaborate in design until about 1750, when the cornices are sometimes found in mahogany with carved ornament, instead of the earlier covered examples. There is no record of a genuine bedstead with walnut posts, the walnut wood going out of fashion before the bedstead with carved posts came into vogue. i | | CHAPTER VII LACQUER FURNITURE 1660-1730 N the England of Elizabethan times, Oriental products were’ not unknown, both the Dutch and English East India Companies having been formed in this reign; and such articles of Oriental manu- facture as Chinese cabinets, carpets, screens, and embroideries figure in late sixteenth and early seventeenth-century inventories. Both Holland and Portugal were largely interested in the Eastern trade, the volume of which greatly increased during the seventeenth century, and a new vogue for things Oriental influenced both France and Holland in the latter half of the century. On the accession of Charles II this Oriental taste spread to England under the auspices of the Court ; a part of the dowry of the Queen, Catherine of Braganza, consisted of ‘‘ Indian” cabinets, porcelain, and fabrics. In those days the products of the East were termed ‘* Indian.” The king and his brother, the Duke of York, also owned ‘‘ Indian ” cabinets, which are referred to by Evelyn and Pepys ; and both these celebrated diarists make mention of “‘ Indian ” pieces in houses that they visited, which shows that at this period Oriental products were sufficiently uncommon as to call for special notice. These “ Indian ” cabinets and screens were of lacquer, and after their introduction into English Court circles, lacquer ware began to be imported into England in considerable quantity. To meet the increasing demand for lacquer furniture, designs of European pieces were sent out to the East, so that the Chinese and Japanese could make their lacquer furniture on the lines of the European. The vogue for Eastern lacquer also induced the European cabinet-makers to start making lacquer in imitation of the Oriental product. The lacquer work executed in England was called “ Japanning,”’ and became so popular that it was not only made commercially, but de- veloped into a fashionable pastime; and for the guidance of interested amateurs, A Treatise of fapanning and Varnishing was published in 1688 by Stalker and Parker, which gave many recipes and designs for carrying out ** japan ” work. 147 Si ITUR > Pe PLATE XXXII A walnut card table with lion masks Hecker knees e leg table serpentine in shape, circa 1735. In the collec Griffiths, Esq. 2 PLATE XXXII a F# SE I aE oP ge LACQUER FURNITURE 149 The importation of “‘ Indian ”’ lacquered furniture by the merchants in the late seventeenth century seriously affected the trade of the European manufacturers ; and caused an outcry amongst the artisans of Holland, France, and England for laws to protect the native industries, although it was admitted at the time that the Oriental lacquer work was far superior to any that was produced in Europe. The lacquer imported into England from the East can be divided, roughly, into two varieties, one similar to that illustrated, Plate XXXIX, on which the ornament was raised in parts ; and the other, called incised or cut lacquer, in which the design was cut in the surface and afterwards decorated with colours. ‘The Oriental lacquer has a hard, lustrous surface, being made from the resin of gum trees, whereas the European substitute was more in the nature of paint and varnish. The supply of designs for English pieces to the Oriental makers, and the making of “japanned ” furniture in England, led to the decoration with lacquer of many other articles besides the Oriental cabinet and screen ; in fact, it is probable that every article that was made in walnut was also made in English lacquer. In addition to furniture, the wainscotting of rooms was also decorated with lacquer.* The lacquer furniture of English production was identical in every way to the walnut examples, the carcase being made of deal or oak, as already described. Many of the best quality pieces appear to have been veneered before they were lacquered. This was done to obtain a smoother and better surfacet and to cover up the joins of the carcase, which, through shrinkage, would open and cause the lacquer to crack. When covered with veneer the risk of cracking would be considerably lessened, and would only occur if the veneer, itself, split. A number of veneered walnut pieces were undoubtedly lacquered at a later date in the eighteenth century ; and this would also account for a number of examples having veneer under the lacquer. But as lacquered cabinets, which were not made in the walnut wood, are found veneered, this tends to prove that the carcase of high quality pieces, specially made for lacquering, were first overlaid with veneer. The mouldings of such pieces are in the solid and not cross-banded, as they would be on walnut pieces that were lacquered at a subsequent date. The pieces of Oriental manufacture, although similar in design and * Celia Fiennes records in her diary (temp. William and Mary) that at Burghley House, Stamford, the seat of Lord Exeter, ‘‘ My Lady’s Closet is very ffine, the wanscoate of the best Jappan.” + In deal and oak, the shrinkage of the softer fibres between the harder year rings results in the latter standing out, and this feature will be seen on many pieces which have been lacquered direct on the carcase without veneering. =< a yo ¥ — 4 . _. - ee Se es ee ial 7 . i“ * ek A) es Ri : > Fe ee oe he rr ; 2 ; 150 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE _ "3 of ~*~ i ¥ ian -PLate XXXIII A chest-with-drawers on stand overlaid with walnut veneer, g ins., circa 1705. In the collection of Mrs. T. D. Wilso , ee. My nae wel 2 i oes 1h + % s -~ / ¥ ; é MALTS Rite ty ve [ - r Ls , ena 4 ~ ee aa 1 ey , ¢ we. a a ; ¢ is > y Po, ‘ ae § Pe eee eo seule Sek at ; ' . * : \ “a Wha = eA ‘~ ‘ > ae nana a Os i a Ps 2 ‘ ‘ ay ty 9 i a ; ir. PLATE XXXIII cMApceneae, ’ LACQUER FURNITURE 151 form to the English, varied in the smaller details, and especially in the execution of the cabinet work ; the dovetails were very coarse, and, in some cases, where they were omitted, the sides of the drawers were held together with wooden pegs. The mounts were also much thinner than on the English examples, and were sometimes of Oriental design, as seen on the example illustrated, Plate XX XIX. Both the exterior and interior of the drawer linings will be found painted in the Oriental pieces, whereas in the best English examples, in which the drawer-linings were of oak, the insides of the drawers only were painted, generally a dull red and sprinkled with gold. On the poor quality English pieces, made with deal linings, both the interiors and the exteriors of the drawers were usually painted, similar to the Oriental examples. Although a very large quantity of furniture of Oriental make must have been imported into England in the late seventeenth century, a much larger quantity of the English “‘ japanned ”’ work has survived. Like the existing walnut furniture, the greater part of the lacquer furniture dates from the first twenty-five or thirty years of the eighteenth century, as the examples of seventeenth-century lacquer extant are mostly confined to the cabinets-with-doors mounted on stands. This type of cabinet was undoubtedly the earliest piece to be imported into England from the East in the reign of Charles II ; and it appears, also, to be the earliest piece that was made in the English “ japan.” Judging from the lacquer furniture extant, certain articles have sur- vived in far larger numbers than others ; for instance, many square cabinets- with-doors and long-case clocks are in existence. The reason for the sur- vival of so many clock-cases, however, is attributable to the fact that, while lacquer furniture went out of vogue about 1730, the use of lacquer for decorating clock-cases continued up to the end of the century. In this respect they are analogous to the marquetry clock-cases, which, as already mentioned, continued to be made for ten or fifteen years after marquetry furniture had declined in favour. Owing to the perishable nature of lacquer furniture, the amount that has survived can only be a small part of what was originally made; and the fact that some articles exist to-day in larger numbers than others 1s due to the nature of such pieces being better fitted to withstand the wear of time and use. The Oriental lacquer furniture also shows a preponderance of certain articles ; for instance, the cabinet, the bureau-bookcase, and the chest with domed lid, have survived in larger numbers than other pieces. The long- case clock in Oriental lacquer is practically unknown. ‘The incised or cut lacquer, as found to-day, is generally confined to screens, to cabinets mounted 152 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE on stands, and to chests. Many of the two latter articles have been made from incised lacquer screens, as the panels on the doors and sides do not contain a complete design. Besides cabinets and chests, a few rare tables, mirror frames, and other articles of furniture have also survived made from panels obtained from the coromandel screens; in fact, the majority of incised pieces extant would appear to have been formed in this manner, as but few will be found with panels specially made for the articles which they decorate. Such pieces were made in England from the imported screens. Lacquer decoration on English furniture was carried out with various coloured backgrounds, by far the most favoured being the black, as the majority of the surviving pieces have the background of this colour. More valuable pieces, however, are those with the red ground, as such examples are not only of far more decorative value, but are extremely scarce. Pieces of lacquer with blue and green backgrounds have also survived, the blue perhaps being the rarer of the two; but the rarest of all the colours is the cream or pale yellow, and only a few pieces are known to exist with this rare ground. Both the Oriental and English lacquer declined in favour about 1730 ; the incised lacquer variety, however, appears never to have been very popular in England, and the majority of the cabinets, screens and chests with this lacquer that have survived would appear to date from the seventeenth rather than the eighteenth century. Lacquer furniture would seem, from existing examples of it, to have been specially favoured for use in bedrooms, which in the early eighteenth century were often decorated in the Chinese taste, the walls sometimes being hung with papers of Oriental design. About 1750 lacquer again came into favour, which fact can be gathered from the published designs of the cabinet-makers of that period, as many examples are given which it is suggested would look well if treated with “‘ japan.” ‘The majority of these later designs were also for pieces of bedroom furniture. Many more examples of the earlier lacquer have survived, however, than of this middle eighteenth- century revival ; and, as this later variety is outside the walnut period, it does not come within the purview of this book. The present-day condition of the majority of old lacquer pieces shows them to be in varying states of disrepair, for lacquer, unlike walnut, has not improved by age ; use and wear having the effect of denting and scratch- ing the surface and wearing off the gilding from the raised portions of the design. ‘This scratching and denting of the surface, however, is more general on the softer English lacquer than on the harder surface of the Oriental; but the latter, owing to this very quality of hardness, has a tendency to crack and chip off in a manner similar to veneer, in addition to LACQUER FURNITURE 153 which the colours of the design sink in, and the gold wears off. The incised or cut lacquer has stood the wear of age better than the other two varieties. A large quantity of the English lacquer has also been ruined through its surface being coated with a thick opaque varnish, which in some cases has entirely hidden the design; in fact, on some pieces only the raised portions are now to be seen. This varnishing of old pieces, probably for the purpose of renovation, appears to have been confined to the English examples, as the highly polished surface of the Oriental would not be improved by such treatment. The decorative value of those pieces, both of Oriental and English lacquer, which have their gilt design standing out in brilliant contrast to the darker background, is markedly superior to the worn or varnished example which has only the merit of age to recommend it. In the former piece, the patches of colour used in the design will add their quota to the decorative effect, whereas in the varnished example the colours will not be distinguishable. Many pieces which, originally, had a blue or green ground have been so heavily varnished in recent years that the background now appears to be black ; and it is owing to this pernicious practice, in the past, of renovating lacquer with thick mastic varnish that the brilliant piece is So scarce at the present time. Besides the varnished example, many English pieces are extant with their surfaces much restored. In some cases this has been done so well that it is only by very careful examination that the restored parts. can be dis- cerned. The Oriental pieces with the raised design are not so often found restored owing to the difficulty of imitating this type of lacquer, which, as already stated, varies considerably from the English variety. Apart from the difficulty of finding a piece in brilliant condition, the collector will have to contend with a very large quantity of spurious lacquer that has been made ; and it is no exaggeration to say that more than two- thirds of the lacquer furniture sold as antique is fraudulent. This, however, refers to the English lacquer, as the Oriental variety with the raised design is not imitated. The incised or cut lacquer, which it is possible to repro- duce, as described later, has also received its share of attention from the imitator. Just as there are degrees of quality in fraudulent walnut examples, so there are similar degrees in the spurious lacquer, the pieces made by the commercial imitator having by no means the same resemblance to the old example as those made by the skilled faker. In fact, the productions of the former are generally offered to the public under the guise of “ an old but not period ” piece ; and by this rather subtle description a better price is more readily obtained for them than if they were described as of new 154 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XXXIV (5) A dressing-table on cabriole legs terminating in claw and ball feet, circa 1730. In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, Esq. (a) A knee-hole pedestal dressing-table overlaid with walnut veneer, circa 1735. In the collection of Patrick Hastings, Esq., K.C. PLATE XXXIV a A ewe, ee lone ye ag << ~ io ty i Sadie toy LACQUER FURNITURE Iss manufacture. The skilled faker of old lacquer, however, has more confidence in his wares, and proclaims them to be genuine specimens of the reign of Queen Anne, and the prices he obtains are, in consequence, considerably higher. This variation in spurious lacquer is specially noticeable in regard to the gilding. In poor work the gold design will be made with bronze powder, whereas in the high quality work gold leaf will be employed. ‘The dullness of the former in comparison to the transparent brilliance of the latter is specially noticeable ; for the bronze powder has not the lasting properties of the real gold, which improves by age. The deep rich colour of the gold on the old piece is attributable to the thin varnish with which the lacquer surface was originally finished. The mellowing of this varnish by long exposure to the atmosphere gives to the gold the same rich, translucent effect that it gives to the walnut wood. The imitator also finishes his piece with varnish, and this will produce in time the same effect as it has done on the old piece. The surface of the old lacquer, both of the background and the raised, gilded portions of the design, will be found to have a network of fine hair cracks. ‘The imitator, however, to obtain, immediately, an appearance of age, cracks the surface of his lacquer artificially by applying a paste over it ; and the contraction of this paste in drying cracks the varnish with which the lacquer has been coated. This artificial method of cracking the lacquer ‘surface makes cracks of quite a different nature to those found on a genuine piece. The cracks on the latter, if closely examined, will seem to extend not only through the varnish but also the coating of lacquer ; but on the spurious piece the varnish on the top of the lacquer only is affected. The artificial cracks, moreover, are large ; in fact, very similar to those sometimes found on old oil paintings which have been heavily varnished. The collector who is desirous of purchasing only genuine pieces should make himself familiar with the cracking of the spurious piece, as this knowledge will stand him in good stead when determining the authenticity of an example. Besides the artificial cracking of the spurious example, the surface of the lacquer will be soft, very unlike the hard and dry surface of the genuine piece. It will take a number of years for the modern lacquer to harden, and examples of recent manufacture, therefore, can be tested in this respect. The surface of a genuine lacquer piece will also show signs of wear. For instance, on the flap of a bureau, or a cupboard door that has been constantly handled, the lacquer will have worn off and, in some cases, shows the wooden carcase underneath. The raised portions of the design, which are usually gilt, will have the gilding worn away, disclosing the white com- position of which these raised parts are formed. This wearing away of the PLATE XXXV (5) A walnut tripod pole fire-screen with panel BE petit shane needlewc circa ates In the collection of Percival D. Griffiths, eae 7™ (a) A walnut cheval fire-screen with octagonal pacel of. peit Ps work with gros point border, circa 1725. In the collec Partridge, Esq. Ags : ae gs . eG ae a ite. 2 Tale PLATE XXXV B LACQUER FURNITURE 157 gilding will have occurred on those parts of the piece which have been dusted constantly, like the flap of a bureau, or the top of a table; the mouldings on the front of a piece, also, will have the lacquering and gilding more worn and rubbed than those on the sides. On the spurious example, however, the wearing of the gilding on the raised design will be general over the whole of the piece, as the imitator, to give it an antique appearance, treats every part in the same manner, and does not graduate the treatment according to the wear which each part would naturally receive. This question of the wear of the lacquer is a useful factor in determining whether a piece is genuine or not. The imitator who sets out to deceive his customers does not usually make pieces of new construction, but will confine his efforts to lacquering old articles, as by this expedient, he saves himself the trouble of faking the carcase of a piece, and has only to treat the exterior lacquered surface. He will, for instance, take an old walnut chest-with-drawers or a secretaire with fall-down front, and strip off the old veneer, which he afterwards uses for veneering a spurious piece of walnut ; and he then proceeds to lacquer the stripped carcase. This lacquering of old pieces he will carry out on any examples that he considers suitable for the purpose ; and in the following notes, on various pieces of old lacquer furniture, mention will be made of those pieces of which spurious imitations are usually made by this method. CABINETS The cabinet and the coromandel screen are the earliest pieces of lacquer that have survived ; the former both in the Oriental lacquer and in the English “‘ japan.” ‘The early cabinets of the Charles II period, of Eastern manufacture, were mounted on stands after their arrival in this country, similar to the example illustrated, Plate I. The English cabinets were also mounted on similar stands, and from examples of both the Oriental and English cabinets extant there appear to be many more of the latter than of the former in existence. The Oriental cabinet is also found on an Oriental lacquer stand ; but such cabinets are by no means to-day of such interest and value as the English examples. The stands altered in design according to the prevailing fashion, the early examples being decorated with cupids and figures amidst foliage, similar to the two specimens illustrated. Later examples, dating from the time of William and Mary, show the influence of “Te style refugié.” Cabinets were also mounted in this reign on lacquered stands with turned legs connected by flat stretchers, similar to the stands of the chests-with-drawers. The Queen Anne cabinet was mounted on a stand with cabriole legs, generally “‘ japanned,” and the cabinets of the 158 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE George I period will be found on stands with the cabriole leg ending in the claw-and-ball foot; while other rare specimens of the early eighteenth century have survived with carved and gilt stands, having cabriole legs ending in claw-and-ball or lion-paw feet, and the knees of the legs some- times decorated with masks. Another type of stand of this period is the one made of gilt gesso, usually with cabriole legs, on which the ornament is in low relief, carved out of composition laid on the wood. The early stands of the Charles II and William and Mary periods were both gilt and silvered, but the latter process must have been more usual, as the majority of the finest seventeenth-century cabinets extant have the silvered stand. Sometimes a cabinet was mounted on a base-with-drawers, or a cupboard-with-doors, but neither of these pieces have the same decora- tive appearance as the example on stand. The majority of the cabinets extant have the black ground, and a number have also survived with the red. The blue, green, and yellow grounds do not appear to have been favoured for the decoration of these cabinets, as genuine examples with these colours are but rarely met with ; in fact, it is doubtful whether a genuine cabinet with a yellow or cream background is in existence. Some cabinets will also be found decorated with what is called tortoise-shell lacquer, in which the background is an imitation of tortoise- shell, being a dull red colour with dark markings. ‘The design is in gold similar to the other types of lacquer. The high value and rarity of the Charles II and William and Mary cabinets, on carved and silvered or gilt stands, has led to many spurious specimens being made by the imitator. These are sometimes of entirely new construction ; but in other cases the imitator will re-lacquer genuine cabinets which, owing to their bad condition, are of little value. The spurious lacquer cabinets of the imitator will usually be found with either a red, blue, green or yellow background, as he finds the cabinet with the black ground does not sell so readily. The rarity of the red lacquer cabinet, and the fact that cabinets with grounds in the other colours are practically unknown, should make the collector view with suspicion any supposed genuine example with these rare backgrounds that he may come across. The genuine lacquer cabinet will usually have the doors cracked owing to the shrinkage of the carcase, and the interior of the cabinet will be brighter and fresher in colour than the exterior. This is particularly noticeable in the red lacquer examples, and if one of the hinges is removed from a cabinet of this description it will be seen that the red ground covered up by the hinge is very much brighter and fresher than the exposed surface surrounding it. In the spurious red lacquer cabinet these peculiarities will not be found, LACQUER FURNITURE 159 and, although the imitator may fake the exterior to a darker tone than the interior, he does not make a difference between the colour of the ground at the back of the mounts and that of the surface around them. (The same peculiarity has also been noted on walnut furniture, see page 45). Concerning the stands, many spurious, elaborately carved and silvered or gilt specimens, similar in design to the examples illustrated, are to be met with. The fine network of cracks over the old gilding already described on page 49, and which on genuine silvered work is, if anything, more pro- nounced than on the gilt, will not be found on the spurious stands. On examination of the back of a genuine stand it will be seen that the surface of the deal from which the stand is made is left exposed. The imitator, owing to the difficulty of faking these parts on his spurious stand, usually coats them with paint; in fact, he will sometimes silver or gild a spurious stand, and then entirely paint it a dark chocolate-brown or black. Many genuine stands will be found treated in this manner, presumably because a past owner considered a stand too garish or bright in the room and therefore toned down its appearance with paint. Knowing that the collector is aware of the existence of such painted stands, from which it is possible to remove the paint and leave the gilding or silvering underneath intact, the imitator copies such stands and chips and knocks off pieces of the paint, to show to the intending purchaser that he has only to remove the paint to possess a stand with its “‘ original’’ gilding or silvering. The carving of the spurious stand has a rounded appearance, and not the crisp, sharp cutting to the foliage and flowers of the genuine example. The design of the foliage with cupids or other motifs in the spurious stand will be monotonous and lack the verve of the original. On a genuine stand the gilding in parts, with the composition ground, will have been knocked off, disclosing the deal underneath ; these defects will seldom be found on the spurious stand, as if the imitator discloses the new wood of the stand he will have to incur the trouble of making it appear old. A number of genuine cabinets, whose original stands have been lost, or which are plain in character, like those dating from the time of Queen Anne, will have been fictitiously enhanced in value by being mounted on fraudulent stands, generally of an elaborate design, displaying lion heads, or Indian masks. As already mentioned, this later type of gilt stand is to-day excep- tionally rare; in fact, much more so than the gilt or silvered example of the seventeenth century. A style of leg which the imitator has frequently used on this type of spurious gilt stand is the one similar to that of the stool, Plate XVII (a). Such legs on the spurious stands are usually decorated with scaling. Another variation between the modern and genuine cabinet is that the 160 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XXXVI (a) A knee-hole secretaire overlaid with burr walnut veneer, circa 1700. (The original bracket feet of this piece are missing.) In the collection of C. H. F. Kinderman, Esq. (b) A knee-hole pedestal dressing-table, of Oriental workmanship, decorated with black and gold lacquer, circa 1725. (The handles of this piece are not original.) In the collection of Geoffrey D. Hobson, Esq. PLATE XXXVI so et B LACQUER FURNITURE 161 mounts of the latter are usually water-gilt. The imitator does not generally go to the expense of this treatment, but leaves his mounts in plain brass and tones them down to give them the appearance of age. Such mounts not being lacquered will go dark by exposure to the atmosphere, like the brass handles on walnut furniture as described on page 50. Genuine Oriental cabinets decorated with incised or cut lacquer are to-day of extreme rarity and considerable value. As already mentioned, the majority of the genuine examples were made up out of the panels of a coromandel screen ; but few of them are found with panels containing a complete design, showing that they were specially made for the cabinet. Although the genuine incised cabinet formed from a screen is extremely rare, the same cannot be said of those cabinets which have been made from screens within recent years. As these screens are decorated on both sides the imitator, in carrying out this conversion, splits down or saws in two each fold, and the lacquer panels thus obtained he cuts up and fits on to the carcases of the cabinets which he has formed from old material. By cutting up a screen in this manner, the imitator is able to make half a dozen incised lacquer cabinets from one screen; and the value of the cabinets being far in excess of that of the screen, it pays him well to carry out this deceit. The imitator, besides making these incised cabinets from old screens, also makes many examples with new incised lacquer, of which lacquer it is possible for him to make a passable imitation. In reproducing it, he first covers the surface of the wood with thin successive layers of a preparation of whiting and size, to form the coating in which the design is to be cut. The process of cutting he sometimes simplifies by covering the prepared surface with a thin coating of wax, on which he prints a transfer of the design, and then removes the wax where required by the pattern. Acid is applied on the surface and this eats into the composition ground where it is not protected by the wax, the corrosive action of the acid being stopped when it has proceeded far enough. On removal of the wax the surface will be found etched away according to the design. By this means the cutting out of the design in the composition ground is accomplished with far less expenditure of time and labour than if the work was done by hand. The difference between old and new incised lacquer is specially notice- able in the colouring, that of the latter being garish and inharmonious com- pared with the soft and richer colours of the old work. The variation in the tone of the green is specially marked ; that on the genuine example is similar to the green on old famille verte porcelain, whereas the modern work has the green much harsher and more blue in tone ; the difference between the reds is also equally pronounced. When a modern piece of incised lacquer is damaged, it will show the L ‘ 4 PLare XXXVII__ A cabinet decorated with English red and fa lacquer on. silvered stand, circa 1685. In the collection of Frank ys Wy IT PLATE ee oe) or we ae oe Be a is ’ . A »” me ‘ s > a : io ’ > ’ a . a ty ‘ i ‘ id ‘ . LACQUER FURNITURE 163 white or grey ground formed by the composition underneath ; but on the genuine incised lacquer the ground, where disclosed, will be of a dark brown colour, resembling papier m4aché, as it was chiefly composed of very fine clay, gum and vegetable fibre. The highly polished, hard lacquer which covers the ground on the flat surfaces will, as already mentioned, crack and chip off like veneer. This will not be seen on the imitation. . BUREAUX AND BUREAU-BOOKCASES Genuine examples of both these pieces in English lacquer have sur- vived, but there are many more bureau-bookcases than bureaux. Examples of the small bureau-on-legs are also extant ; but rare as the walnut specimens are, the lacquer ones are still rarer. The bureau-bookcase is found with the black, red and green grounds. A fine example with the green ground is shown in Plate XXXVIII. The green and red, however, are by no means so frequently seen as the black. The narrow bureau-bookcase in lacquer would be a very rare piece to find, and although a number must have been made, very few have survived in comparison with the number of the more ordinary examples of 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches. Unfortunately, many genuine specimens of the bureau- bookcase, decorated with the English lacquer, will be found in bad condition, especially in regard to the fall-front of the bureau. Notes concerning the mirrors in the walnut bureau-bookcase also refer to those in the lacquer examples. Spurious imitations of these articles will not be found of new construc- tion like the cabinets, but will be old examples with their surfaces lacquered, bureaux being specially favoured by the imitator for this treatment. To detect these old pieces, with drawers, which have been decorated with modern lacquer, examination should be made of the front of the drawer and the drawer sides, as the imitator often allows the lacquer to flow over the dovetails on the sides, which he forgets to fake like the lacquering on the drawer front. If, therefore, the paint or lacquer on the front edges of the drawer sides has a fresh appearance, suspicion should be aroused. Oriental examples of these pieces (see Plate XXXIX), are much rarer than those decorated with English lacquer. The Oriental bureau-bookcase will not be found with mirror panels in the top part similar to the English specimen, but will have lacquered panels as in the example illustrated. CHAIRS The surviving lacquer chairs from their design are of the early eighteenth- century type. This tends to show, as already stated, that the seventeenth- PLATE XXXVI _A bureau wrriting-cabinet decorated with English green and | g with bevelled mirror plates in doors surmounted by top, circa 1715. In the collection of Frank Partrcecs i PLATE XXXVIII eae sd 7 LACQUER FURNITURE 165 century lacquer pieces were mainly confined to cabinets, and that other articles decorated with it date from the first twenty-five or thirty years of the eighteenth century. Chairs are found both in the English “ japan ”’ and the Oriental lacquer, the former being generally of the type with cabriole legs, and a shaped hooped-back and central splat. A type of hall chair with high, solid back and a wooden lacquered seat has survived decorated in Oriental lacquer. Both the English and Oriental lacquer chairs are, however, extremely rare. Undoubtedly, a quantity must have been made, but the small number surviving is attributable to the fact that a chair, of all articles, is one on which the lacquer is most likely to get damaged or worn, and being made of beech they would not be likely to be preserved after the lacquer decoration had become shabby. The imitator makes lacquer chairs generally of new construction, both because genuine chairs of the period are too rare and valuable to be lacquered, and because, in a chair, only the undersides of the seat-rails are left unlacquered, and these do not give him much trouble to fake, especially if he makes the rails out of old material. TABLES The lacquer table to-day is extremely rare. A few examples of the oblong tables with scroll legs are extant in the English lacquer ; and a few specimens of both the early circular-top card table of the William and Mary period and the later square-top card table with cabriole legs have also survived. Oriental lacquer card tables are not unknown ; but the extreme rarity of all types of lacquer tables, and the very bad state of repair of the tops of those that are extant, make the specimen that is in good condition an extremely valuable piece. Specimens of the seventeenth-century oblong table, decorated with incised Oriental lacquer, are also known, but these are of extreme rarity and value. The commercial imitator makes many card tables of new construction. He also lacquers the plain oak or mahogany tripod-table, and sometimes the oak gate-legged table ; but such examples the collector should ignore, as not only are they in bad taste, but they bear no resemblance to any genuine lacquer table of the period. CHESTS-WITH-DRAWERS AND CHESTS-WITH-STANDS A number of chests-with-drawers have survived, but, like the rest of the lacquered furniture, these pieces, especially their tops, are seldom found in good repair. The lacquer chest-on-stand, similar to the walnut example, is seldom found with the stand intact; the majority being PLATE XXXIX | _ A bureau writing-cabinet, of Oriental workmanship, decora € or paw lacquer, circa 1730. In the collection of Sir % B : PEALE OeNX xe al nen Ris cscs SUS iN AUN ES a RRR sic etinentcotmnnobitieettn ces tll Aslan isin ° 5 e Ve ‘ A ie 4 » = .. ° ue ” dl ‘ J i <* 5% 5) + : ; i : ¥ ty» er ‘2 * i\3 . te £3 .. ‘ td ' , - ® . . i rey, a A 4 ow, Fa 3) ae ea? ; - A Fie F re Mee wee S %- Aaa a 7 : eT a ) LACQUER FURNITURE 167 remounted on modern stands.* These chests-with-drawers and chests-on- stands are nearly always found with a black ground, examples with either red, blue, or green grounds being very exceptional, especially those of the first-named colour. The chest-with-drawers is a very favourite piece for the imitator to reproduce with his spurious lacquer; and he is particularly fond of the red background, knowing full well the attractiveness that it adds to a piece. He either uses old walnut chests-with-drawers from which he strips off the veneer, or the oak chests-with-drawers ; and, occasionally, he will use mahogany chests. Needless to say, if a collector comes across a piece of lacquer furniture, the carcase of which is made of mahogany, he need not carry his investigations any further, as he has obtained sufficient proof of the spurious nature of the example. The favourite type of mahogany chest- with-drawers that the imitator uses for his lacquer work is one without the projecting top, and with the overlapping drawer front, as these chests, which are fairly numerous, are more in consonance with the furniture of the lacquer period. Although he will not be guilty of lacquering a bow- fronted chest-with-drawers, as such chests date from the last quarter of the eighteenth century, he will often forget to pierce his new lacquer on the outsides of the drawer fronts to correspond with the holes of former sets of handles, as described on page 97. CHESTS A number of Oriental chests with domed or flat lids have survived, both in the raised and in the incised lacquer. Such chests were imported from the East in the time of William and Mary and later, and were mounted on English stands, sometimes with turned and tapered legs connected by stretchers, and occasionally with supports of a more elaborate design, such as carved and gilt eagles or dragons. Other specimens are found, especially of the type with the flat lid, with a plain plinth or bracket foot without the stand. ‘The majority of these chests are found in the Oriental lacquer, and not in the English “ japan.” A number of spurious examples decorated with incised lacquer have been made by the imitator, usually mounted on gilt stands, of a design with cabriole legs, sometimes elaborately decorated with masks. Many genuine * To detect a modern stand to an old lacquer chest a comparison should be made of the drawers in the stand with the drawers in the chest. If the stand is genuine, the construction, dovetailing and the wood used for its drawer linings will be identical with those of the chest. In a spurious stand the drawers might be made of pine, with dovetailing of the later type, whereas the drawers of the chest might be of oak with the dovetails extending to the front of the drawer. 168 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE chests have also been mounted on new stands, and the stands, therefore, should always receive careful examination from the collector. The modern’ incised lacquer chest has a very different appearance to the genuine example, being nearly always too bright and new looking. The old examples are, unfortunately, too often in bad repair; and, on those with the raised-pattern Oriental lacquer, the colours are very much sunk in, and the gilding is worn away. | DRESSING- TABLES A number of pedestal dressing-tables of large size, measuring about 4 feet in width, similar to the example illustrated, Plate XXXVI (6), have survived, decorated either in the Oriental or the English ‘ japan ” lacquer. The survival of such large examples in lacquer is all the more remarkable in view of the fact that large walnut dressing-tables of this size, as already commented upon, are practically unknown. These large dressing- tables cannot be considered as writing-tables, for they invariably have the decorated top, and not one covered with velvet or leather, as they would undoubtedly have if made for writing purposes. The smaller pedestal dressing-table, similar to the example illustrated in walnut, Plate XXXIV (a), is known in both English and Oriental lacquer ; and lacquer examples of the other dressing-table on legs have also survived. All these three types of tables are to-day of great rarity, and although a large number must have been made originally, few have been able to sustain the two centuries of wear and tear. THE SECRETAIRE WITH FALL-DOWN FRONT This piece in lacquer is not unknown to-day, although the majority of the existing examples are decorated with the English and not the Oriental variety. As already stated, a number of spurious examples of this piece have been made by the imitator, and a lacquered specimen, therefore, should always be closely examined before an, opinion as to its authenticity is arrived at. MIRRORS AND 'TOILET-GLASSES The decoration of the frames of wall mirrors with the English japan must have been much in vogue during the reigns of William and Mary and Queen Anne, as a number have survived. The early mirror, with heavy moulded frame, is not unknown to-day in lacquer; but the majority of LACQUER FURNITURE 169 existing examples are of the narrow, vertical type, with half-round moulded frame, surmounted by a hood. Unfortunately, many of these mirrors are in bad condition, with the hoods missing, and the frames are often badly worm-eaten. ‘The majority of the lacquer mirrors will be found with the black ground, although examples with a red ground are not unknown, and in other colours they are extremely rare. The lacquer mirror has received considerable attention from the imitator as he has lacquered many old mirror frames in walnut and mahogany. He has sometimes committed the error of lacquering genuine mirrors, sometimes of mahogany, that are too late in date to be found decorated in this manner. The notes concerning the genuine mirror plate on page 135 also apply to mirrors with lacquer frames. The toilet glass is another piece to be found decorated with English “japan” lacquer; and unlike the other pieces of lacquered furniture a number of genuine specimens have survived with the rare red ground. Many of these toilet glasses will be found with the mirror and side supports restored, and only the base-with-drawers original. Unfortunately, the majority of existing examples are in poor condition with the lacquer damaged or dis- figured. The imitator has not been behindhand in supplying lacquer toilet- glasses, made from the large quantity of plain mahogany examples surviving. In examining these glasses it should not be forgotten by the collector that a lacquered mahogany example can generally be recognized, if one of the drawers in the base is taken out, as many of these mirrors were made in solid mahogany, and in consequence, the sides will be formed of this wood. The backs of the drawer fronts will usually be of mahogany also. CORNER CUPBOARDS The tall lacquer corner-cupboard, similar to the walnut examples, invariably has solid and not glazed doors. This piece with the latter doors is of a spurious character, being the late eighteenth-century mahogany or oak corner-cupboard converted into a lacquer specimen. The hanging corner-cupboard with convex doors and decorated with lacquer has survived in considerable numbers. ‘This was a piece that, like the long-case clock, continued to be made in lacquer in the country districts long after the early eighteenth-century lacquer had gone out of vogue. Such corner-cupboards, unless decorated with red lacquer, or possessing some other interesting feature, are not of great value, to-day, owing to the difficulty of hanging them in a modern room. A number of contemporary Dutch lacquer examples will also be met with in England, but these can be 170 OLD ENGLISH WALNUT & LACQUER FURNITURE PLATE XL (5) A bracket clock in case decorated with English green and gold lacquer with musical movement by Simon de Charmes, London, circa 1725. In the collection of Sir William Plender, G.B.E. (a) A bracket clock in case, overlaid with burr walnut veneer ; movement by William Webster, Exchange Alley, London, circa 1730. In the collec- tion of Sir John Prestige. PAL ANI, QU ae Pee ee wt mi il Se eR Fab Fer BY aaa » intinn o> Fie ats = a et Be Bn Settee naw Seetyeetones WTR Seeder eat wp noe ta at veretsteaate haa Bie telesty a i :s * eeekcks daly seer ely MKS: aie eentrs neers =) peeeer