| Show WINE OF FURNITURE significant features whereby the amateur may recognize the work or style of the great london cabinetmaker sheratons Shera tons wonderful toilet tables his excessive use of drapery his alcoves and other individual devices on furniture and furnishing by ESTHER SINGLETON the style of furniture known under the generic title of sheraton receiving its name from the famous english cabinetmaker who died in london in 1800 at the age of 55 years is derived largely from the french periods of louis XVI and the so called empire sheraton was a journeyman cabinet leaker end as he himself relates also aar vcr he settled in london in 1790 and it seems from that year until 1793 he worked abc his trade after the latter dato he to have tried to earn hia living by meana of bis pen and produced three books on cabinetmaking containing a vast number ot plate lany of the designs for furniture in these books are original conception cep tion of sheratons Shera tons but not all with no class of furniture was sheraton more successful than that he designed for alie dressing room his toilet tables arc marach of convenience and economical arrangement of space perhaps in the center will be a dressing glass that may be raised or lowered at pleasure and around it are numerous compartments and trays for every article of toilet that the most capricious woman of fashion could desire sheratons Shera tons dressing table may even contain a writing deak nests of drawers and all the conveniences of a work table it may also be equipped branched lights and swinging glasses and yet everything is comprised in an astonishingly small space the gent lemans toilet table receives no iea attention of furniture upon which sheraton spent much thought was the basin stand he prefers small corner stands that can be placed in an angle of the room these rest on three feet one abc the back and two spreading in front one peculiarity of sheratons Shera tons is his tremendous use of drapery he gives a great number of designs for window curtains beds sofas alcoves and can kopjes where the festoon and rosette in a variety of ways and can be made to fall or to be raised by deaia of bullies or other ingenious devices the line and tassel are used As a rule in the sheraton robin the windows arc numerous anil run from floor to ceiling the curtain therefore of great importance and naturally the carved gilded or japanned cornice much lighter than it was in the daas of chippendale re cliv attention sheraton reserves the word mirror for the small concave or convex glass framed in gilt fand with econies for candau a decorative accessory often to found in hi rooms and which was considered by him very fashionable another favorite device in the sheraton room is tho alcove or recess and ho chinke it give a handsome handa ome effect if toupin of corinthian columns are placed on each side of the room so as io give a spacious entrance into the alcove these columns should be about eis feet from the end of the room in the alcove there stand seats or a sofa behind which from base to ceiling alic wall is covered with silk or any other material quilted or arranged in uniform panels to suit the rest of the room the seats are low and are draped with a valance fixed to the under edge of the frame and arranged in little festoons fes and rosettes upon them are comfortable cushions arranged stiffly if there are no cushions there is a stuffed and upholstered back SOFAS BEDS ETC Slie raton cares almost sol liing for the framework of h beds it is merely an excuse for an elaborate use of upholstery as will be seen from the accompanying example which is one of alie simplest the headboards are framed and stuffed ornamental roses are made of tin and covered with the same material the curtains and valance the dome and canopy arcoe various designs while fluting puckers fee silk cords cassels tassels tas sels rose fringes borders braids and lace arc elised pro fuseley and in countless ways CHAIRS turning to chairs wo find great variety many of cheso have stuffed scabs scats and carved backs the latter being generally square with loftie softie kind of central carved ornament as shown in alio accompanying illustration the legs are straight and tapering for this kind of chair sheraton has also arm chairs with high backs stuffed as well as the feat and a squared arm chair with molded top rail and arms and turned stumps and elbows which are painted and gilt japanned or are of mahogany or rosewood his bergere gere h similar to the latter in form but has a caned back and arms TABLES the most popular dining table is the pillar and claw generally four claws to each pillar with brass casters dining table of this kind sheraton says may bo of any size by having a sufficient quantity of pillar and claw parts the dumbwaiter dumb waiter consisting of a series of and the sideboard are to be found in the dining room if the latter is not furnished with a in one end there is a separate or cistern in the to leold wine bottles but frequently one end of the sideboard has a partitioned compartment part ment to leold at least nine bottles sometimes the sideboard contain conveniences for candles and upon it stand knife boxes and spoon cases the latter sometime vase shaped it ii the old fashioned butlers tray on its X shaped kg the chairs an the dining room arc mahogany another table on which sheraton spent a great deal of thought was the ladies work or pouch table two of which are shown in tho accompanying illustration this i always aci cate little stand containing a number of compartments adapted for materials for needlework equipped wit it a desk and furnished with a bag or pouch that draws out from beneath the drawers by mean of a slide occasionally the top is inlaid as a chess board another pretty piece is the canterbury so named from the bishop ot canterbury who it depenis wa thu first to order it this little mapie stand about twenty inches high containing three hollow topped partitions for holding music another canterbury made by sheraton is a supper tray with circular ends that stands by the supper table space forbids description of the book cases desk buffets commotes commodes cabinets etc etc and therefore it may be well to note the general character hrics of sheraton furniture and orna ments 1 l ORNAMENTS his great use of the straight ana perpendicular line is to be remarked as welt as his inordinate loveon the festoon and draperies and attention has been briefly called to his ingenious mechanical devices and his economical arrangement of space his fondness for the straight line is also seen in toe legs of the sheraton furniture which are more frequently or aut cd than turned ahe graceful springing leg with the ball and claw foot has disappeared long before sheratons Shera tons day and sheraton contemptuously refers to designs as thoroughly antiquated and laid aside however the claw hakea its occasional appearance in sheraton furniture especially in tho models of his last years when what he ia do signing is really empire his favorite ornaments are the husk or bellflower bell flower the awag or feltoon fe toon the column the lyre the urn the vase with flowers the cateria pateria pa teria for oval shaped disc di sc and the palm within an oval loop the last named design appear as often as the lyre in his carved chair r backs he makes great use of braw brass beads border chair seats and small lines of brass are used to inlay his rosewood and mahogany piece the brass rail around shelves work tables sideboards etc is also a favorite ornament his bookcase doors arc composed of paes of glass arranged in decorative designs and behind them green silk curtains are looped red bronze and yellow bronze mount appear on hia chairs and sofas and cladsie models such as hh very original her antique chairs which in recommends for the music room he makes great use of the tambour shutter for sideboards writing table basin stands etc he also a fane for curious shapes lucli as cylindrical writing table or the kidney tor horseshoe table already mentioned although sheraton uses mahogany especially for his dining room library and bedrooms his drawing room furniture is row sta inwood painted gilded and japanned he seems to have a special fondness for white and gold and much of his furniture of the latter class diners very slightly from that used in the boudoirs bou doirs and salons of mario antoinette the IV edgewood china was in vogue at this period and sheraton admires it extremely and sometimes he introduces plaque of this ware into ilia commotes commodes com modes and it perfectly suit the oval patterns in ine chair and sofa covering it has already been noted eliat silk and satin are used for upholstering either in stripes or medallion patterns but sheraton remark that cano i more in fashion than it was ever known to bo at any former period and many ot IKS chair therefore arc cane seated |
