The bowed or semi-circular front of the lower portion of the cabinet is divided by stiles and a horizontal ormolu beading into six main panels. The upper ones, to left and right, have urns with handles of lions holding swags in their mouths. The swags are held at the other end by tied bows, from which hang cornucopia shapes and draperies. The stiles dividing these panels from the centre one are of dark wood, banded with tulip and thin boxwood lines, and are mounted with ormolu tied bows and straight hanging leaf ornaments. The central panel consists of two cupboard doors which slide sideways. Its chief ornament is a dark circle, with a broad and shallow urn with dragons' head handles, the whole minutely inlaid. There is a large scroll, with a peacock holding a swag in its beak, filling up the rest of the panel on each side. A very pretty motive is to be noticed here. All the swags in the three upper panels have pendent drops graduated in size, and hanging close together by their threads of inlay.

These resemble necklaces, and are a motive borrowed from the designs of Jacques Androuet, 'du Cerceau'

In the lower three panels those to left and right are cupboards. The stiles have changed from dark above to light below, and have honeysuckle and bell-flower patterns of their own.

The middle of the upper part in the lower portion of the cabinet, when slid back, discloses a set of four pigeon-holes, two on each side, divided by a little cupboard prettily inlaid, and also painted with leaves in green and pink flowers. The lower part of this cupboard is a false drawer, and in this is the keyhole. The base of the cupboard is parquetted with diamond and circle inlay. Below each set of pigeon-holes are one long and two shallow drawers. When the sliding panels are opened the parquetted base draws out, bringing all the drawers forward, and forming a writing-place to sit at. This can be slanted for drawing or reading.

There are three large drawers with oval drop-handles in the centre of the lower portion, below the sliding panels, and their inlay forms one design. It consists chiefly of an oval with two cherubs in light wood on clouds in darker shaded wood. There are the usual attributes of lyres, wreaths, trumpets of fame, and doves. The large oval is banded with tulip and enclosed in a ground of darker hue, perhaps harewood. The ground is inlaid with entwined scrolls of leafage, with acanthus shapes in the corners. The thick fronts of these three large drawers are veneered upon a light-coloured wood. The lower edge is moulded with ormolu jutting out when it passes over the stiles, which project half an inch. The four taper legs, about one foot high, are reeded each side, light on dark, and are shod with elegant little brass feet.

This is but a perfunctory account of a beautiful piece of work. The only point to which artistic exception might perhaps be taken is the shape of the upper part above the shelf, where the edge curves up to the bust. Excepting that, the endless variety and counter-change of coloured woods and decorative motives, with the surprises of the interior fittings, and above all the breadth and 'keeping' of the general scheme, in spite of so much minute detail, cannot be too much admired.

To be compared with it, as far as inlay is concerned, are a pair of commodes with semi-circular fronts in the possession of Miss Vincent, Royal Victoria Hotel, Swanage, Dorset (Plate cxlviii.). These have not the ingenuity of interior fitting which is a conspicuous feature of Mr. Willett's cabinet, but their inlaid ornament is equally elaborate and beautiful. Scrolls, flowers, terminal figures, and figures of dogs and swans, doves and peacocks, all in the best style of inlay, and with most delicate pencilling of feathers, and other small detail, make up a perfect ensemble. As in Mr. Willett's cabinet, so in this, there appears the design of birds holding necklaces at one end in their beaks. The commodes are on rectangular tapering legs nine inches long, and in shape resemble Mr. Willett's cabinet if its upper portion were removed. It appears almost incredible, but it is a fact that these beautiful objects were, until not many years back, covered with a coating of brown paint. The exquisite inlay was almost entirely concealed. There was no reason arising from bad condition to account for this extraordinary treatment, the cause of which remains a mystery. It is possible that elsewhere there may exist masterpieces of Sheraton's art which have been disguised in a similar manner.

Plate CXL. Sideboard, Mahogany Inlaid Sheraton

cxl. Sideboard, mahogany inlaid. Sheraton. Augustus Spencer, Esq.

Another case is known to the writer.

Plate CXLVIII. Commode, One Ok A Pair, Satinwood Veneer, Inlaid Sheraton

CXLVIII. Commode. One of a pair. Satin-wood veneer inlaid. Sheraton. Miss Vincent.

Dimensions: Length 58, Height 36, Depth from front to back 24 inches.