Posts Tagged ‘dropleaf tables’

THE CHEST
Although many new forms of furniture had been evolved from the chest, the latter was extraordinarily persistent in retaining its popularity more or less in its original form. It continued to be made in large numbers throughout the seventeenth century, and in provincial districts remained as a sort of standard household possession long after oak furniture had gone out of fashion in the towns. The probable explanation was that, for its size, it had maximum accommodation and was as simple a piece of work that a carpenter could undertake. It was not, in fact, until the chest of drawers, with its greater convenience, was invented that it began to decline in popularity.
Fig. 54 is a typical chest of the early years of the seventeenth century. It is well enough made in its way, though the detail is extremely crude when closely examined. It was probably the work of a country carpenter who could make a reasonable job of cutting, say, a mortise and tenon joint, but was rather out of his depth when it came to any carving.
One has to bear things like this in mind when arriving at an opinion on a piece of old furniture. Age may have given it a fine colour and centuries of polishing produced an inimitable surface, but, this apart, the mere fact that it was made in the seventeenth century does not make it beautiful. There were poor workmen then as now.
Chests with Drawers.—Returning to the chest, we now come to the last phase and its final disappearance—or rather conversion. We have seen how certain pieces such as the side table were evolved from it without affecting the chest itself, this still continuing in its old form, probably with varying detail, but virtually the same. Now, however, it was to lose its identity as a chest, although its use remained unaltered. It came about through the invention of the drawer. The latter was becoming increasingly popular in the seventeenth century, and it probably occurred to someone that the inconvenience of having to turn out the entire contents of a chest in order to reach something at the bottom could be avoided to a large extent if the drawer system were applied to it.
These things usually have their beginning in a small way, and the thin end of the wedge can be seen in the left hand chest in Fig. 53, which is virtually just an ordinary chest with two drawers fitted at the bottom. Its advantages must have become immediately apparent, for very shortly the whole of the space was given over to drawers as in the right hand chest in Fig. 53. Once this had happened, the old form of chest which had survived for centuries with practically no change of form became extinct, and it has never again been revived.
Whilst we still have the chest in Fig. 53 in mind, it is worth while noting the method of decoration employed on the drawer fronts. It consists of applied mouldings mitred round to form various patterns. It is the fact that they areapplied that is specially to be noted, because we saw in the Elizabethan period that they were invariably worked in the solid. This method of applying ornament is typical of the later Jacobean period, and it extends to such details as half-named was an innovation of the early years of the seventeenth century, but it hardly comes under the heading of domestic furniture, because it was the type of thing that would not be made for anyone except a person of the highest
quality. There is an example in the famous King’s bedroom at Knole. It was made specially for James I during a visit he paid to the mansion, and it is entirely on the lines of the upholstered chairs mentioned earlier in this chapter. Every portion of the woodwork is covered with rich material, and above the tester are four great plumes, one at each corner.
Such a bedstead was well enough in a palace, but it would not be suitable for use in humbler houses. It is worth noting at this stage, however, because the type became popular again towards the end of the century. The nobleman or rich merchant would use the four poster bedstead, an Elizabethan example of which was given on P. 40. This continued with few alterations except in detail for the greater part of the seventeenth century.
Well-to-do farmers and those of similar standing used the simpler panelled head and foot bedstead. This was practically identical with the modern wood bedstead, except of course that the side rails were of wood and that the mattress was supported by ropes which were threaded through holes bored through the rails. Rather more elaborate specimens had both head and foot made extra high, so to support a simple tester, as that in Fig. 55. This virtually is simply three pieces of panelling, with side rails added to support the mattress.
For the other furnishings of the bedroom there was the chest, which later in the period was fitted with one or more drawers, and eventually the complete chest of drawers. In addition, various forms of cupboards or presses made their appearance for the more convenient storing of clothes and linen. Fig. 56 shows an early piece, and was the origin to which the modern wardrobe can be traced.
JACOBEAN ORNAMENT
This does not differ a great deal from that of the Elizabethan period. It is in the main a rather free rendering of the Renaissance. Certain new features made their appearance—the lozenge panel for instance, which was of diamond shape and was usually ornamented with simple gouge cuts. (See the top panels of the bedstead in Fig. 55.) Such carved details as the guilloche, lunette, and arcaded panels (see P. 42) remained popular through Jacobean times.
Later pieces of the period, however, tended to become more artificial, in that decoration was applied rather than worked in the solid. Take, for instance, the group of panels in Fig. 51. In every case the mouldings are applied, and,

THE JACOBEAN BEDROOM
There were three kinds of bedsteads made in Jacobean times : the four poster, the panelled head and foot type, and that covered over with fabric and heavily draped. The last-although there undoubtedly is a certain decorative value in the arrangement, they tend to become somewhat meaningless since they bear no relationship to the construction. In Elizabethan work mouldings were worked at the edges of rails or were channelled along the centre, and have a definite purpose in taking off the harshness of a square edge or enriching a plain surface. In the Jacobean work they often appear to be laid on in any convenient way that suggested itself to the imagination of the craftsman.
The same thing applies to the other decorative details which were invariably applied.

FIG. 55. SIMPLE CANOPIED BEDSTEAD WITH PANELLED ENDS.
Mid. 17th century.
This is the sort of bedstead used in smaller manor houses or farm houses.
Note the holes in the rails and head and foot to take the roping which supported
the mattress.
turnings, diamonds, studs, and so on. A group of Jacobean panels with applied mouldings is given in Fig. 51.

FIG. 54. JACOBEAN CHEST WITH CARVED PANELS.
First half 17th century.
The development from the chest of the previous century can be seen by comparing
this with the examples on p. 17. In this particular example the whole work-
manship is particularly crude.

FIG. 56 PANELLED WARDROBE WITH CHANNELLED FRAMING.
17th century.
A typical arrangement of the panelling is shown in the doors. It is
similar to that in the court cupboards on pp. 38 and 61. Note the use of
the long horizontal panel in all three examples.

Early chairs
Before the 16th century rooms were sparsely furnished, and the range of furniture was limited. Chairs were scarce and, like stools, were viewed as symbols of authority. It was not until the 16th century that more comfortable chairs were made. At this time the major artistic impetus spread northward from Italy, and chairs were made in quantity only in southern Europe. By the I7th century, as lifestyles became more settled, there was a greater demand for comfort in seat furniture.

A Turner’s or “thrown” chair
s of this type were produced in Britain from the 16th century, and
still made in provincial areas into the 19th century. “Throwing” was early term for turning. These chairs were often made from ash, which strong and ideal for turning, although susceptible to woodworm. late 17th century; ht Iml3ft3in; value H)
SOUTHERN EUROPE
The earliest prototype was the 16th-century Italian X-frame folding chair, usually in walnut, Inch was adopted in northern Europe from the end of the century. Spanish examples exist that are inlaid with ivory and metals in stellar and geometric designs in the Moorish fashion.
Armchairs of the 16th and 17th centuries were refined versions of the carved chaise caquetoire (gossiping chair) which, with its solid, carved back and trapezoidal seat, was not very comfortable. As revealed by the engravings of the Flemish designer Hans Vredeman de Vries (1526-(.1604) in his Differents Pourtraicts de Menuiserie ((.1585), the earliest-surviving traditional easy chairs were executed principally in Tuscany, Spain, Portugal, and The Netherlands in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Known as the sillon De fraileros (”monk’s chair”) in Spain, this type of chair was usually of walnut, with scrolled and acanthus-carved stiles. The upper section Was supported by plain legs joined by waved stretchers, and the chair was upholstered with
intricately tooled and embossed leather stretched by ornamental heavy brass nails. Examples from The Netherlands often have lion finials surmounting the stiles.
NORTHERN EUROPE
Turning on a foot-operated lathe (which revolved the legs while the wood was cut to the required shape) became an increasingly popular decorative technique in northern Europe, and by the early 17th century most legs were turned. This form of decoration remained fashionable until the end of the century. Designs became increasingly intricate at this time, culminating in the “barley-sugar” (spiral) twist.
Peculiar to the 17th century is the oak joined chair with arms, often called a wainscot chair in Britain. Similar designs were made in many countries throughout northern Europe, and examples are still found in some numbers. This type of chair commonly has a scroll-carved toprail, sometimes inscribed with initials or a date. Its characteristic feature is a panel back, often symmetrically carved with stylized
leaves, lozenges, roundels, and lunettes. The seat
is solid, but would originally have had a squab cushion, and the front supports are ring-turned, with the legs joined by stretchers. Chairs of this type were made until the end of the 17th century and represent the final stage of the age of the joiner, as this period is often called. Designs and techniques changed considerably after this time, but in many provincial areas the traditional methods of construction continued to be used.

•    woods invariably indigenous – walnut in southern Europe and oak in northern Europe; rosewood was used to a limited extent during the 17th century in Portugal
•    DAMAGE examples that pre-date 1600 are extremely rare, and 17th-century examples should be examined closely for repairs; age, wear, and tear will have taken their toll – the legs and the lower part of the back are particularly vulnerable
•    DECORATION painted decoration, upholstery, leather, and caning have often been changed; if the originals remain, they increase the value
•    COPIES AND FAKES most 17th-century chairs are stylistically of a very simple form, the same designs being produced over a long period, making them difficult to date; turners’ chairs arc popular with collectors and are often faked – copies are difficult to detect as they may be quite old themselves, and tend to be in the same woods as the originals (ash or oak, not walnut), with good-quality carving; the colour of the wood on all unpolished surfaces should be closely examined, as should the overall patina

Gateleg and dropleaf tables.
Tables that can extend are adaptable, and this quality has ensured the continuous survival of the gateleg for at least four centuries. A gateleg table is one with a flap (or flaps) which, when extended, rests on supports swinging out from the the table’s undcrtrarric. The supports consist of legs, joined by stretchers at the top and bottom to form gate-like structures.
17TH-CENTURY GATELEG TABLES
Small side tables with foldover tops and pivoting gateleg arrangements were already among the luxury furnishings of grand houses in the 16th century. As domestic comfort increased during the 17th century, so such tables proliferated. Early examples tend to be of half-round or half-ellipse shape when folded, with a doubled-over top hinged across the straight edge. When pulled away from the wall and opened out this top forms a circle or an oval, supported firmly underneath by its joined gate-frame, which pivots outward on wooden hinges from the centre of the LinderftarrC at both top and bottom. Variants of this scheme include square or octagonal tops, and tables with baseboards between the stretchers of the main structure.
As dining habits evolved in the later 17th century, and the large communal hall was replaced by more intimate parlours where meals were taken, the long, rectangular trestle table gave way to rounded gateleg tables, convenient and conducive to conversation. They could be moved away from the centre of a room and folded down to a note compact size when space was needed for dancing or music-making.
The later 17th century was the golden period of the gateleg table, with a plethora of variations on the basic structure being made. Foldover tops continued, especially for small tables for gaming and needlework, but they were largely superseded by the type consisting of a fixed central section with a hinged flap and a gateleg on either side. The supports for the flaps generally swivelled out from one end of the central rectangular structure and folded back parallel with it. Extra large tables, which might seat up to twelve people comfortably, would have two gates on each side to support the flap. Rule joins between the flaps and the fixed central sections of good-quality gateleg tables made after c. 1690 gave smooth contact between the edges of the central section and the flaps without leaving any gaps.
DESIGN VARIATIONS
In many gateleg tables there was a drawer, or even two, in the frieze of the central section. Small foldover tables of exceptional quality might have three or more small drawers opening in the rounded face of a wide frieze. An unusual type of small table had a single central gate that pivoted in the centre of the underframe, to support either a leaf on each side or a vertically tilting solid top, made without flaps. Another rare alternative was a small cupboard at one or both ends of the central scctjnon of a two-flap table.
The greatest variation in appearance was given by the decorative treatments of legs and stretchers. Plain bar supports might be
grooved or given profile shaping, while hamster, bobbin, or spiral turning resulted in some exuberant underframes, which have developed a rich patina over the years. Carving on friezes and stretchers was common on early tables with foldover tops, but not on larger gateleg tables with fall flaps. The most common late 17 th-century gateleg tables were made in oak or elm, while the finest are of walnut, cedar, yew, or some other rare, but usually native, timber. Fruinvoods, such as apple, pear, or cherry, supplemented oak and elm in rural areas.
DROPLEAF TABLES
Gateleg tables, mainly of oak and elm, were made throughout the 18th century, chiefly for the homes of farmers and the more prosperous country people. Their place at the forefront of fashion was taken from c.1720 by the dropleaf table: a type of flap table with a pivoting leg to support the extended leaf but without the under-stretcher, of the gate-Form underframing. Both types of table reflect the increasingly comfortable and civilized surroundings and activities of the 18th-century middle classes – dining, tea-drinking, card-playing, doing needlework, and conversing in small groups.
As with the design of chairs at this time, the understretcher was relinquished. By the end of Queen Anne’s reign (1714), both tables and chairs were usually supported on cabriole legs without understretchers. The undcrfrunung of the table was now confined to the underside of the top, and the moving supports. The supports consisted of legs joined at right angles to sturdy rails, pivoted outward on wooden knuckle hinges set into the central undcrframe. The flaps u; to generally secured to the central section of the top with brass rule
hinges, countersunk into the underside.
Some dropleaf tables were made of oak or walnut, but fashionable mahogany was
the choice for most after c.1730. The outward curves of the cabriole 1( were often embellished with cars I acanthus leaves or lion-masks; carved claw-and-ball feet were a similar decorative change from plain pad feet. Less stylish but eminently serviceable were the square and rectangular dropleaf tables, operating on the same principle as round tables and produced for the rest of the century.
The dropleaf table, like the gateleg, continued to be widely made and used, particularly in provincial districts where both types could be considered traditional rather than fashionable pieces of furniture. Plenty of examples still exist and are to be found in such locally available timbers as fruitwood, ash, elm, yew and oak, as well as mahogany. As with most regional furniture of enduring design, it is often very difficult to attribute anything more than a vague date to them.
SPIDER-LEG AND SUTHERLAND TABLES
The gateleg principle was adopted for an exceptionally delicate form of flap-top table, which was popular during the 1760s and 1770s. Appropriately known as a spider-leg table, from the slenderness of its supports, it was a small occasional table for use in the drawing-room, made in fine timbers. Its turned legs and stretchers were usually quite plain, and it had either one or two flaps; some examples have cleverly curved base stretchers to make space for the user’s legs.
A new form of flap table was introduced during the mid-19th century. Known as a Sutherland table, it was named after the Duchess of Sutherland, Queen Victoria’s Mistress of the Robes, and was a sort of cousin to the Pembroke table. It was characterized b) an extremely narrow central section supported off a trestle-like, cheval or “horse” base . se with a relatively deep flap on either side. The base, with its sturdy supports and splayed feet at either end, was often embellished with carving or turning in the full-blown Victorian manner, while the flap supports, which pivoted outward from the centre of the underframe just below, the top, tended to be comparatively slim. The usefulness of such a table is immediately apparent: its narrowness in the folded position enables it to be tucked away in a small space, while the deep flaps provide a relatively spacious top when opened out. Sutherland tables were made with rectangular as well as rounded flaps. While the best were of figured walnut or some other eye-catching timber, sometimes with inlaid or marquetry decoration as an additional embellishment, more utilitarian versions were produced in oak, chit, or even painted pine. Nearly Lill of these types have casters attached to the feet for extra mobility.
Other types of space-saver on the dropleaf principle included 18th-century North American butterfly tables, named after the shape of the supports for the leaves, and handkerchief tables, with triangular tops and leaves.