. The book of decorative furniture, its form, colour and history . settlement in this country that English furnituredisplayed henceforward increasing technical expertness. Indeed, uponthe formative arts the stimulus was so important that, were it notfor a bias in favour of preserving unbroken throughout the Stuartreigns the continuity of their style-label, one might add the threeyears of James reign to the succeeding period of William andAnne. THE BAROCCO INFLUENCEON ENGLISH CHAIR WORK During the last years of the Stuart dynasty one can trace theimminent domination in chair work of the ha
. The book of decorative furniture, its form, colour and history . settlement in this country that English furnituredisplayed henceforward increasing technical expertness. Indeed, uponthe formative arts the stimulus was so important that, were it notfor a bias in favour of preserving unbroken throughout the Stuartreigns the continuity of their style-label, one might add the threeyears of James reign to the succeeding period of William andAnne. THE BAROCCO INFLUENCEON ENGLISH CHAIR WORK During the last years of the Stuart dynasty one can trace theimminent domination in chair work of the harocco—contrasted curves ofthe Italian designers, Bernini and Borromini, now filtering throughFrance and Holland. Incidentally, the use ofthese curves encouraged the use of walnut, itbeing found tougher across the grain, as wellas more easily worked than the harsher oak. WOODS Although, until the reign of William andAnne, frames of sofas and chairs were probablymore frequently made in oak or soft wood, thereal commencement of the vogue of walnut was LATE STUART CHAIR, 208 DECORATrS^E FURNITURE in the days of Charles ii., the principal pieces being usually facedwith English walnut. Perfunctory attempts had been made from Plantagenet timesdownwards to replace the oaken forests for the use of future genera-tions. The inadequacy of the supply of the wood attracted theattention of that gossiping genius Samuel Pepys, whose unceasingefforts for naval efficiency pass unnoticed, whilst—living under sevenrulers—he immortalised himself in his leisure hours by his Diary,written in a species of shorthand which was undecipherable until 1825. Pollard man that he was, in Coleridges phrase, his zeal led himto project large afforestation schemes to ensure that the woodenwalls of England might be of British oak, and the enormous salesof Crown timber in James days, at extremely low prices, musthave seemed to him little short of criminal AGE OF WALNUT The dearth of the national
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade191, booksubjectdecorationandornament
