CHATS ON
OLD FURNITURE

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CHATS ON OLD FURNITURE

Press Notices, First Edition.

"Mr. Hayden knows his subject intimately."—Pall Mall Gazette.

"The hints to collectors are the best and clearest we have seen; so that altogether this is a model book of its kind."—Athenæum.

"A useful and instructive volume."—Spectator.

"An abundance of illustrations completes a well-written and well-constructed history."—Daily News.

"Mr. Hayden's taste is sound and his knowledge thorough."—Scotsman.

"A book of more than usual comprehensiveness and more than usual merit."—Vanity Fair.

"Mr. Hayden has worked at his subject on systematic lines, and has made his book what it purports to be—a practical guide for the collector."—Saturday Review.

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CHATS ON OLD CHINA

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

Second Edition.

Price 5s. net.

With Coloured Frontispiece and Reproductions of 156 Marks and 89 Specimens of China.

A List of SALE PRICES and a full INDEX increase the usefulness of the Volume.

This is a handy book of reference to enable Amateur Collectors to distinguish between the productions of the various factories.

Press Notices, First Edition.

"A handsome handbook that the amateur in doubt will find useful, and the china-lover will enjoy for its illustrations, and for the author's obvious love and understanding of his subject."—St. James's Gazette.

"All lovers of china will find much entertainment in this volume."—Daily News.

"It gives in a few pithy chapters just what the beginner wants to know about the principal varieties of English ware. We can warmly commend the book to the china collector."—Pall Mall Gazette.

"One of the best points about the book is the clear way in which the characteristics of each factory are noted down separately, so that the veriest tyro ought to be able to judge for himself if he has a piece or pieces which would come under this heading, and the marks are very accurately given."—Queen.

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IN PREPARATION.

CHATS ON OLD PRINTS

Price 5s. net.

Illustrated with Coloured Frontispiece and 70 Full-page Reproductions from Engravings.

With GLOSSARY of Technical Terms, BIBLIOGRAPHY, full INDEX and TABLE of more than 350 of the principal English and Continental Engravers from the XVIth to the XIXth centuries, together with copious notes as to PRICES and values of old prints.

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London: T. FISHER UNWIN, Adelphi Terrace.

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Chats on
Old Furniture

A Practical Guide for Collectors

By

Arthur Hayden

Author of
"Chats on English China"

LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN
1 ADELPHI TERRACE. MCMVI

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All rights reserved.

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PREFACE

This volume has been written to enable those who have a taste for the furniture of a bygone day to arrive at some conclusion as to the essential points of the various styles made in England.

An attempt has been made to give some lucid historical account of the progress and development in the art of making domestic furniture, with especial reference to its evolution in this country.

Inasmuch as many of the finest specimens of old English woodwork and furniture have left the country of their origin and crossed the Atlantic, it is time that the public should awaken to the fact that the heritages of their forefathers are objects of envy to all lovers of art. It is a painful reflection to know that the temptation of money will shortly denude the old farmhouses and manor houses of England of their unappreciated treasures. Before the hand of the despoiler shall have snatched everything within reach, it is the hope of the writer that this little volume may not fall on stony ground, and that the possessors of fine old English furniture may realise their responsibilities.

It has been thought advisable to touch upon French furniture as exemplified in the national collections of such importance as the Jones Bequest at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Wallace Collection, to show the influence of foreign art upon our own designers. Similarly, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch furniture, of which many remarkable examples are in private collections in this country, has been dealt with in passing, to enable the reader to estimate the relation of English art to contemporary foreign schools of decoration and design.

The authorities of the Victoria and Albert Museum have willingly extended their assistance in regard to photographs, and by the special permission of the Board of Education the frontispiece and other representative examples in the national collection appear as illustrations to this volume.

I have to acknowledge generous assistance and courteous permission from owners of fine specimens in allowing me facilities for reproducing illustrations of them in this volume.

I am especially indebted to the Right Honourable Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane, G.C.B., I.S.O., and to the Rev. Canon Haig Brown, Master of the Charterhouse, for the inclusion of illustrations of furniture of exceptional interest.

The proprietors of the Connoisseur have generously furnished me with lists of prices obtained at auction from their useful monthly publication, Auction Sale Prices, and have allowed the reproduction of illustrations which have appeared in the pages of the Connoisseur.

My thanks are due to Messrs. Hampton, of Pall Mall, for their kind permission to include as illustrations several fine pieces from their collection of antique furniture. I am under a similar obligation to Messrs. Waring, who have kindly allowed me to select some of their typical examples.

To my other friends, without whose kind advice

class="x-ebookmaker-pageno" /> and valuable aid this volume could never have appeared, I tender a grateful and appreciative acknowledgment of my indebtedness.

ARTHUR HAYDEN.

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CONTENTS

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Chest, French, Fifteenth Century 44 Walnut Sideboard, French, middle of Sixteenth Century 45 Cabinet, French (Lyons), second half of Sixteenth Century 48 Ebony and Ivory Marquetry Cabinet, French, middle of Sixteenth Century 50 Spanish Cabinet and Stand, carved chestnut, first half of Sixteenth Century 51 Spanish Chest, carved walnut, Sixteenth Century 52 Chapter II.—The English Renaissance. Carved Oak Chest, English, Sixteenth Century 59 Bench of Oak, French, about 1500 60 Portion of Carved Walnut Virginal, Flemish, Sixteenth Century 61 Carved Oak Coffer, French, showing interlaced ribbon-work 61 Fireplace and Oak Panelling, "Old Palace," Bromley-by-Bow. Built in 1606 64 Elizabethan Bedstead, dated 1593 66 Panel of Carved Oak, English, early Sixteenth Century 68 Mirror, in oak frame, English, dated 1603 71 Court Cupboard, carved oak, English, dated 1603 73     "    "    carved oak, early Seventeenth Century 74     "    "    about 1580 75 Elizabethan Oak Table 78 Chapter III.—Stuart or Jacobean. Seventeenth Century. Gate-leg Table 81 Oak Chair, made from Sir Francis Drake's ship, the Golden Hind 83 Oak Table, dated 1616, bearing arms of Thomas Sutton 85 Chair used by James I. 87 Jacobean Chair, at Knole 89 Jacobean Stool, at Knole 90 Carved Walnut Door (upper half), French, showing ribbon-work 91 Oak Chair, with arms of first Earl of Strafford 93 Italian Chair, about 1620 94 High-back Oak Chair, Early Jacobean, formerly in possession of Charles I.

href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@34877@[email protected]#Page_95" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">95 Jacobean Chairs, various types 97 Ebony Cabinet, formerly the property of Oliver Cromwell 99 Jacobean Carved Oak Chairs, Yorkshire and Derbyshire types 101 Jacobean Oak Cupboard, about 1620 101 Jacobean Oak Chairs 105 Carved Oak Cradle, time of Charles I., dated 1641 107 Chapter IV.—Stuart or Jacobean. Late Seventeenth Century. Interior of Dutch House, latter half of Seventeenth Century 111 Cabinet of time of Charles II., showing exterior 112     "    "    "    showing interior 113 Portuguese High-back Chair 115 Oak Chest of Drawers, late Jacobean 117     "    "    panelled front, late Jacobean 119 Charles II. Oak Chair 120 Charles II. Open High-back Oak Chair 121 Charles II. Chair, cane back and seat 122 James II. Chair, cane back and seat 123 William and Mary Chair 125 Portuguese Chair-back (upper portion), cut leather work 128 Chapter V.—Queen Anne Style. Queen Anne Oak Settle 135 Queen Anne Mirror Frame, carved walnut, gilded 137 Oak Desk, dated 1696 139 Oak Cupboard 140 Queen Anne Cabinet, burr-walnut panel 141 Queen Anne Chairs, various types 143 Dutch Marquetry Cabinet 147 Queen Anne Clock 148 Queen Anne Settle, oak, dated 1705 149 Old Lac Cabinet 150

class="smcap toc">Lac Cabinet, middle of Eighteenth Century 151     "    "    showing doors closed 152     "    "    chased brass escutcheon 154 Chapter VI.—French Furniture. The Period of Louis XIV. Cassette, French, Seventeenth Century 157 Chair of Period of Louis XIII. 159 Pedestals, showing boule and counter-boule work 163 Boule Cabinet, or Armoire 165 Chapter VII.—French Furniture. Louis XV. Commode, by Cressent 171 Commode, formerly in the Hamilton Collection 173 Commode, by Caffieri 175 Escritoire à Toilette, formerly in possession of Marie Antoinette 179 Secrétaire, by Riesener 181 "Bureau du Roi," the masterpiece of Riesener 183 Chapter VIII.—French Furniture. Louis XVI. Jewel Cabinet, "J. H. Riesener," Mounts by Gouthière 193 Commode, by Riesener 197 Chapter IX.—French Furniture. The First Empire Style. Portrait of Madame Récamier, after David 203 Detail of Tripod Table found at Pompeii 205 Servante, French, late Eighteenth Century 206 Jewel Cabinet of the Empress Marie Louise 207 Armchair, rosewood, showing Empire influence 210 Chapter X.—Chippendale and his Style. Table made by Chippendale 213 Oliver Goldsmith's Chair 215 Chippendale Settee, walnut, about 1740 217     "    "    oak, about 1740 219 Chippendale Chair-back, ribbon pattern 222 Ribbon-backed Chippendale Chair, formerly at Blenheim 223 Chippendale Corner Chair, about 1780 224 Gothic Chippendale Chair-back

align="right">225 Mahogany Chippendale Chair, about 1740 226     "    "    "    about 1770 227 Chippendale Mirror 229 Chippendale Bureau Bookcase 231 Mahogany Chair, Chippendale Style 232 Cottage Chairs, beechwood, Chippendale style 233 Interior of Room of about 1782, after Stothard 235 Chapter XI.—Sheraton, Adam, and Heppelwhite Styles. Heppelwhite Settee, mahogany 241 Sheraton, Adam, and Heppelwhite Chairs 243 Old English Secrétaire 250 Shield-back Chair, late Eighteenth Century 251 Chapter XII.—Hints to Collectors. Design for Spurious Marquetry Work 259 "Made-up" Buffet 261 Cabinet of Old Oak, "made-up" 267 Design for Spurious Marquetry Work 273 Piece of Spanish Chestnut, showing ravages of worms 274

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

GENERAL.

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PARTICULAR.