The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-04
WMu O1rBM&i
Development Of . Usofaa Astieae Ne1Esass.
held vRsnatQfe.

held RnsnatQfe.
From Wood Oraft.
One Of the very earliest. 90 well che n,oSs
important. pieoes Of furniture 70 be found IN
medi1val homes was the ohest. Ito oosas
panions In the rude dwellings, Of that period
were q stool Of most primitive form, o board
cot on ~trestles. which served 70 hold the
wooden trenohers and drinking cups. and
occasionally o bed. when the hunter. lcP6
Of the manor or ploughman camo homo from
his iabors he threw himself on Q couch on
the floor on which were spread some skins or
rough woollen cloth, which served for warmth.
In many homes Of some pretension there was
but q slngle bed. In which the knight and biz
lady rested, while the remaindor Of the house
hold lay upon the floor. or stretched them
selves upon the chest, which contained the
fortune Of the family.
There were no banks, no places where
property might be stored and papers de.
posted. and each man held on to his goods
by force of arms and the strength and secret
continuance OF the ponderous locks which he
had placed on his chests. They were rem
dered moro secure at night BY having q
sleeper. with his sword near at hand. occupy.
ing the lid. and In the day the mistress OF the
manor and the maidens were at work all the
time on their endless spinning or tapestry
work near at hand. There are very few
chests remaining which can be identified 40
having been made prior to the thirteenth
century. only one or two. In fact. and one Of
these at Stoke d'Aberon Church, In Surrey,
England, ID made Of oak. with the remains
Of three ponderous locks and some simple
Gothic carving. One or two. said TO b
equally ancient. have ornamentation Of iron
work upon them, the design showing great
skill in the working Of the metal and beauty
In the design. BY 1888 we come to the period
Of documentary evidence as to what was In
use by royalty at least, and from that series
Of papers known as the CLOSE. Rolls still
preserved IN England, osn be drawn many
dsst sbs K e 70 VIZ Thst reference yer nn use e ps SInntq%sf eSs
rooms Of himself and his Queen date from
1889, Though chairs did not come, into oom.
E Bssnneh Sss s III III his si1 Sssfs tS ss1 eSosys ' @So o SsIIdi
AFFORD them-end always the chest.
., The I Zach Sses psrI IN w anS .S We e arr sase re e o sIs
or on legs made from the continuation, Of tn
s pansi. u TR sso d iscns. ~ nh Tss .S ssSqPs!i we're 70 'so n:
s m %Sr' Ss sssE f R5sis Eide. i "a; "a ( Sss ssSisS x: sSss Es:s:
s 8ney carving S~Hs ~" was made In Holland a. wa was often
the case Ia the seventeenth and eighteenth
e sfsGssSs s boay so of I'll. fse oh ssst n 70 E6s 81 sdifsr sss T srS%
iss p sHceptIens. Many 81 The. chests T., b
S fSSnd al ssr seem aaT %. 1Ss d Ia ains q bl piae oa 1h0 Sssvy
and solid, though the mortlsed ends have had
to be strengthened with nails. -
also called, were named from a chest OF sim:
liar style and Of French make, called .huGhs,'
Every nation used THESE articles, a1d ne md
uct. No italian family. was without It's Eoas-
some" or marriage chest, In II, was stored Q
t Hss1 port Ga ll1 81 the ssa ds sas swet q t sSs house. Soyss..
e shrsa 50 that the Wealth u ths family would 30
H. - nd hrtr N a,tifnra forUarA M m atfap
how hoSv una aaH Slyss the lady. ~ W
All italian literature deals in one way, or
snGshsFl T Ia ii 1hs shs sns's,p a hSess' la sas ssh en
them the choicest .iabors OF their hands.
Cabinet makers Wed one with another as to
and besides the wood carvers artisans were
: s %Sil'; Sssssr T. = is sRRl'r i4 aIsRns ssd sSs sYa Issst s *:
added to all the other things. and a little Golfer
or chest for 9 lady's Jewels had, in addition.
trays lined with choicest Genoa velvet or silk
Spain was not behind other Continental
countries In her work upon chests and pro.
WSfhiieSS Is al ways handsome and usually very
and painted with the most charming designs.
Their pslntlns. too: Red velvet ana aiit nan:
It is rathsr interesting, to compare these
were made In such numbers in England and
later In thls country They were sometimes
Va,ee carried pIei' in n' them. IlTSs With Sls SUCH small mali
store Of money and few papers as the owner
had. They hpy were sGs 'Sm as oa sxsIos .f Hr i .l.5tfen
t tegsee on wi ich Writing could Be done. '
In some the two upper sets OF drawers are
s salif io esins on 1Ssl sSe 2 lo ossss i Siaa P bsins h q a.s'
acquired drawers in ~, Upward Night. Just
S Ehy Il L M sa1ea a. the ma asr ( ~ y s s%aoov IN sf she . Rfr-
runners. which we're fastened On The carcass
wainscot chest. made Of, mouldinRs with the
upper and lower sets Of drawers splAAyed and
eae t haI o nesds sS seS on p 5Hi olEna and the ip pie gran Il
Indeed. the usage Of meklne. part q these
it made them lighter articles to handle.
together these wains So'. chests; for the local
the foot. ss well. and It was not dinisuIt to
Iron was the meta. allied to the ancient
usual on these chests, and ]. think thess nave
on some onpboards Of a6out this same period.
that is, the last half Of the seventeenth or the
first quarter q the elshteenth century.
It went up very high. In fact. Il became
decidedly inconvenient. for how was Il pos
srss t. Sl sss tns iSn so%e Of d ihGs not 1P Gssp d tssir
bureau drawers in any better order than they
do to-day, and Il must have been discourage
one Of the two small upper ones. II was a
curious fancy which led the makers Of these
chests on legs to put four legs in front and
only two behind. with stretchers to steady
them. This was the pattern OF all the early
ones. and when the two middle legs In front
had been were marked by two carved drops
or ornaments.
Many OF these chests, ."highboys- we call
with a broken arch cornlce, or carved orna-
ments. OF with a lattice work arch.