Figure 54, also from the Erving Collection, is a sycamore chest of drawers, probably of American manufacture. The stretchers on this piece are original, as are also the fine drop handles. The mouldings, cornice, arrangement of drawers, and arches between the legs are identical with the imported pieces above described. We believe these chests of drawers to be such as were referred to in the inventories already quoted, dated 1678 and 1684. The dimensions of this piece are as follows: Total height 65 inches, upper part 351/2 inches, lower part 291/2 inches, width of upper part 361/4 inches, lower part 39 inches, depth 21 inches.

Figure 54. High Chest of Drawers, 1680-1700.

Dressing-Table, 1680-1700.

A very early dressing-table in the Bolles Collection is shown in Figure 55. There is but a single long drawer, as in Figure 54, surrounded by a single-arch moulding, and the skirt is cut in the early arch pattern, two pendants taking the place of the two inside legs. The legs are turned in the cup shape and the handles are circular plates with drops. This is the earliest form of dressing-table known to American collectors.

Another early dressing-table in the same collection is shown in Figure 56. It is veneered with walnut with a herring-bone border on the drawer, but there are no mouldings on the frame about the drawer. The piece stands on five cup-shaped turned legs and the skirt and stretchers are cut in a simple arch. Dressing-tables with the fifth leg are rare.

Figure 57 shows a typical example of the best form of the early six-legged high-boys such as were found in New England. The drawer fronts are veneered with burl walnut with a herring-bone border about the drawers. On the frame is the single-arch moulding. The mouldings at the top are in the early form, a quarter-round, a fillet, and a cyma recta. In the frame are three drawers and the skirt and stretchers are cut in the usual cyma curve pattern. The skirt at the centre is placed higher than usual, and the drawer runners are concealed by a skirt running from front to back cut in cyma curves. The legs are well turned in the cup pattern. The handles are in the early drop design with pierced round plates. This piece is in the Bolles Collection.

Figure 56. Dressing-Table, 1680-1700.

Figure 58. Dressing-Table, 1690-1700.

Figure 58 shows the dressing-table which is a companion piece to the highboy shown in the last figure. It is in the same collection. The piece is like the frame part of the high-boy, except that it is smaller and has but four legs. Pendent drops take the place of the two inside legs of the high-boy. The underbracing is X-shaped to enable one to sit in front of it. At the crossing of the stretchers is a ball ornament. The tops of these dressing-tables were usually veneered in four rectangular sections, fitted to show the grain to best advantage, and enclosed in a herring-bone edge. Outside the herring-bone edge was a border with a strip two inches in width showing the straight grain running at right angles to the edge. The edge of the top was usually finished with a thumb-nail moulding. The veneer is missing from the top of this dressing-table.

Figure 57. High Chest of Drawers, 1690-1700.

High Chest of Drawers, 1690-1700.

Figure 59 shows an interesting variation of this type with five instead of six legs. The drawer fronts are painted in a flower-and-leaf design. The upper moulding is in the earliest pattern and a single-arch moulding is on the frame about the drawers.

The moulding on the frame is unusually heavy. There is one long drawer in the frame which, not having the usual arch moulding about it, gives the appearance of being part of the frame. The lower edge is straight, finished with an astragal on both the frout and sides. The leg- are turned, cup-shaped, and the stretchers are cut in double cyma curves. The handles are drops with circular plates.

Figure 60. Mich Chest of Drawers, 1690-1700.

Figure 60 shows another five-legged high-boy of a little later date. The top has a thumb-nail moulding such as is found on the chests and cupboards, and below that is a moulding consisting of a cyma recta and two fillets. A single-arch moulding is on the frame about the drawers of the upper part but not about the long, narrow drawer on the frame. An astragal or single-arch moulding finishes the edges on the front and sides just above the skirt, which is cut in cyma curves, as are the stretchers. The legs are cup-turned; the handles are drops with circular plates. These two pieces are crudely constructed and are lower and much heavier than the usual six-legged type. They are the only ones that have come under the writer's observation, and are in the Bolles Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Figure 61. High Chest of Drawers, 1690-1700.

Figure 61 shows a six-legged high-boy which belongs to Mr. G. W. Walker, of New York. It will be seen that the cornice mouldings are in the earliest type and the single-arch moulding is about the drawers. The surface of the drawers is of maple with a herring-bone border of walnut, giving a very pleasing contrast of woods. The skirt is cut in the arch pattern as are also the stretchers. The legs are turned cup-shaped. The handles are drops with diamond-shaped plates, which is a little later form than the circular plates.