Chests Of Drawers And Chests

Chests of drawers were of two kinds, having the carcase in one or two sections respectively. Those of one section had three to five drawers. They were usually four drawers in height, the upper space being occupied by two short drawers instead of one long drawer. The tops were flat and upon them often stood lace boxes, covered with lacquer or inlaid with mar-queterie to match the chest. In other words, the one-section chest of drawers was a dressing cabinet.

When a chest of drawers had two sections, the upper was slightly smaller than the lower and the division between the two was marked by a bold moulding. The upper section usually had a straight top, finished with a cornice and either a projecting ovolo (Fig. 4, A) or a flat frieze. Sometimes the top was single hooded or the hood was shaped into a broken pediment. Chests of this sort were known as "tallboys" and were near akin to highboys. On both one- and two-section chests the feet were either straight bracket (Fig. 4, F) or bun (Fig. 4, 0, and Key III; 1, 2 and 3). The drawers were either separated and edged by broad half-round mouldings on the stiles and rails of the carcase or else the stile and rail surfaces were flat and the drawer fronts flush with them. All the usual decorative processes were lavishly used on both sorts of chests of drawers.

PLATE V. WILLIAM AND MARY OYSTERED WALNUT CABINET AND MARQUETERIE CHEST OF DRAWERS.

By Courtesy of Messrs. Gill & Reigate, Oxford Street, and Messrs. Maple & Co., Tottenham Court Road, London.

Another variety of the two-piece chest of drawers had a lower section consisting of a very low stand (Key I, 5) on legs of spiral-turned, cup-turned or, very late in the period, cabriole pattern, the cabriole having an angle on the outer curve and a "ring" (Fig. 4, E) or collar (Fig. 4, E) of moulding below the knee. The stands with cabriole legs had no stretchers. These low stands sometimes had one long or two (Key I, 5) short shallow drawers. This latter variety of two-section chest of drawers was even closer to the highboy than the former, but was too low and squat to be so classified. These low two-section chests and the one-section chests were further marked by lack of prominent mouldings or projection at the top.

Low chests with lifting lids continued to be used.

Highboys And Lowboys

As a well-defined type of furniture the highboy dates from this period and continued to be made in England during the first quarter of the eighteenth century. In America it remained in popular favour much longer and was made in great numbers till the end of the eighteenth century. The name "highboy" is of comparatively late American origin, and is little known in England, where the article so yclept is not so plentiful as in the States.

Highboys consist of two parts, a chest of drawers and a stand with five or six legs, one, two or three drawers and a shaped skirt or apron (Key III, 3). In height William and Mary highboys ranged from four to six feet, or even more. The upper or chest portion was usually four drawers in height, the upper drawer space divided between two or three drawers. Rails and stiles of framework sometimes had half-round moulding or double bead moulding making surrounds for the drawers, sometimes they were flat. The tops were generally straight, the cornice being some times with and sometimes without a frieze. In the latter case the frieze was often of the projecting ovolo, torus or cushion type (Fig. 4, A), and held a concealed drawer. Towards the latter part of the seventeenth century the tops were occasionally hooded, even triple hooded examples occurring.

Fig. 5. Unusual Type of Highboy in One Piece, Showing Strong Dutch Influence.

By Courtesy of Mr. R. W. Lehne, Philadelphia.

The lower portion or stand was similar to a table and had either five or six legs, three or four in front and two at the back, joined by shaped fiat stretchers (Fig. 7), concave, serpentine or ogeed. Feet were of bun (Figs. 5 and 7) or inverted-cup (Fig. 4, B) shape. The legs were turned in spiral (Fig. 4, M), octagonal (Fig. 5), spindle (Fig. 4, 0), trumpet or inverted-cup (Key III, 3) fashion. The apron or skirt between the legs was cut into a simple arch (Key III, 1), or an ogee (Key III, 3), or a combination of cyma curve and arch and the edge was often relieved by a narrow bead moulding formed from a narrow strip of wood facing the cut. Above this shaped apron the base contained sometimes one, sometimes three drawers (Key III, 3). The usual arrangement was two deep drawers on either side and a shallow one in the centre. Towards the end of the century highboys were sometimes made with four cabriole legs (Fig. 4, E) without stretchers, supporting the base instead of the usual six straight turned legs.

Lowboys were small dressing tables similar to the bases of highboys. Occasionally they had five or six legs, but more usually four. Aprons were shaped as in the bases of highboys but the place of the two middle front legs was supplied by acorn pendants (Key III, 1). Drawers were arranged as in highboy stands. The flat serpentine stretchers were generally placed X- or saltire-wise (Key III, 1) with a ball or vase finial at the junction (Fig. 4, D and H).