Chests Of Drawers And Chests

Chests of drawers continued to be made in two sections but the most usual form had but one section and was low enough to use conveniently as a dressing stand. They had usually three to five drawers. The chests in two sections, though still made with the upper portion slightly smaller than the lower, were practically displaced in popular esteem by the highboy, which was a far more graceful article of furniture. These double chests of drawers, "tallboys" or chests on chests often had the corners and bracket feet chamfered and the chamfered edge delicately fluted. When the corners were not chamfered they were frequently adorned with fluted pilasters and carved capitals or, in later pieces, with narrow fretted panels. The tops were sometimes straight, sometimes surmounted with rounded broken pediments formed from a hooded cornice centred in a graceful vase finial, with finials at corners to match, or with pediments of other character in use at the period (Fig. 15; Plate IX, p. 112). The edges of drawers, instead of being flush with the stiles and rails, frequently overlapped slightly and no half round mouldings or beads were used in such cases. The lower part of these chests usually had three drawers and the upper four, the topmost space being divided for two or three small drawers.

The ordinary low chests with a lifting lid (Fig. 12) were in constant use, but were not made to any great extent after about 1740. Some of these low chests in the Colonies had movable bases and were meant to be carried on the backs of sumpter mules and horses. Such chests were also made to be set one on top of another. These low chests, particularly in America, were apt to have a till and a secret drawer inside at one end and some of them had one or two drawers at the bottom. For both chests of drawers and chests straight bracket feet were customarily used, although occasionally bun feet are found, as well as chamfered bracket feet.

Fig. 11. High Double Cheat, with chamfered and fluted pilaster corners and straight bracket feet.

Fig. 12. Queen Anne Low Chest with Drawers. By Courtesy of Mr. A. F. C. Bateman, Philadelphia.

Highboys And Lowboys

The age of Queen Anne is essentially an age of graceful highboys and lowboys (Key IV, 1 and 3). Fortunately they were made in great number and a goodly percentage has come down uninjured to our own day. They have four well proportioned cabriole legs and the highboys are made, usually, in two sections with either a straight top or a broken, scrolled or swan-neck pediment to finish them (Fig. 15). Segmental tops, also, are found but are not as common as the others. The upper part is detachable from the lower, so that the lower half may really be used as a lowboy (Fig. 13). Both sections have drawers and usually are ornamented with a cockle shell or sun ray motif on one of the middle drawers or some modification of the cockle shell. Of course lowboys were made separately and used as dressing tables, but what is said of the lower part of highboys applies equally to lowboys. In one type of highboy the lower section had two long drawers or the equivalent in smaller drawers. The apron was comparatively straight and only relieved by some pendant-like shape with small cyma curves (Fig. 13). The other type had one deep drawer or two shallow drawers at each side with a shallow drawer in the centre and the apron was much more shaped and ogeed with cyma curves (Key IV, 3). Sometimes the straight topped highboys were surmounted by a pyramid of graduated steps for the display of bric-a-brac.

Fig. 13. Lowboy with Shaped Apron and Pointed Club Feet. By Courtesy of Col. William J. Youngs, Esq., Garden City, L. I.

Fig. 14. Typical Outline of Shaped Queen Anne Apron.