Jacobean Furniture Named after King James I Englands

Jacobean Furniture • *Named after King James I, England’s reigning king • Dominant style during the time of the Pilgrims – 1603 - 1690 • Heavy, rectangular with geometric or floral carvings • Stools and benches more common than chairs

Jacobean con’t • Chests were important pieces for storage as there were no closets • Tables were less common than chests • The chair table and trestle table were designed to conserve space • Trundle bed – a low bed that is stored under a higher bed during the day was used

William and Mary Style • Names for the royal couple who began rule of England in 1689 • Dutch and French court style of Louis XIV as well as Asia influenced this style • Curved back on chairs, with seats woven from rushes – marsh plant stems • Lighter weight, with fine carvings and trims • Velvet and silk used to upholster

Gateleg Table • Introduced in the 17 th century • Pull-out legs gave good support to the expandable tabletop

Highboy • A chest of drawers mounted on legs • Often had brass handles instead of wooden knobs • This was an important piece of furniture for storage as the colonists wardrobes grew

Queen Anne Style • 1720 – 1755 – early 18 th century • Became popular with the middle class in England during the reign of Queen Anne • Influenced by the furniture of the Netherlands and Asia. • Known for its graceful, curved lines rather than straight.

Cabriole Leg • This Queen Anne highboy has a cabriole leg • A leg that curves out at the middle and then tapers inward just above an ornamental foot

Windsor Chair A simpler piece of furniture from the Queen Anne period is the Windsor chair The chair has stick legs and a spindle back inserted into a saddle-shaped plank seat It was originally made in Windsor, England has retained its popularity today

Chippendale Style 1755 – 1780 Thomas Chippendale, designer produced the first book of his designs He was a popular cabinet maker and furniture designer from England

Chippendale His designs were interpretations of existing styles. Wealthy Americans wanted to furnish their homes with his style Distinctive details that marked his work are *S-Shaped chair and table legs *Claw and ball foot *Camelback sofa is his design

Federal Style – 1780 - 1820 Popular in New York, Washington, and Philadelphia, each of which served as the federal capital of the U. S. at different times after the revolutionary war.

Hepplewhite/Sheraton • These two rival English designers simplified designs and made furniture more accessible to the middle class.

Sheraton • Notice that unlike Hepplewhite furniture, the slim legs of this table are turned. Slender turned legs, often finely fluted or reeded, are a consistent feature of Sheraton design, as are tabletops such as this one, in which the regular square or rectangular shape is enlivened by diagonal or canted corners.

Sheraton His chairs have rectangular or square backs The legs are slender and tapered and sometimes decorated with reeding = Vertical lines that resemble stems of tall grass.

Sheraton

Hepplewhite • A typical chair has tapered legs and a decorative back in the shape of a shield, an oval, or a heart. • He published a design book in the late 1780’s

Empire Style, 1820 - 1840 • Takes its name from the rule of the French emperor, Napoleon I • An elaborate and much more dramatic style • Duncan Phyfe, an American who emigrated from Scotland was a designer.

Duncan Phyfe • *Used classical designs as leaves, swans, eagles, and dolphins, as well as urnshaped pedestals and dog’s paw and lion’s paw fet. • Known for his chairs with a back shaped like a lyre – a small harp-like instrument • He is credited with incorporating the factory method into his workshop

Shaker Furniture 1800’s A plain and simple style which existed along with the Federal and Empire styles Created by the Shakers a religious groups that had settled in New England Emphasized utility, not ornamentation

VICTORIAN STYLE 1840 - 1900

VICTORIAN PERIOD • Coincided with the reign of England’s Queen Victoria from 1837 – 1901 • A revival of the major styles such as Gothic, Elizabethan, Rococo, Louis XVI • Elaborate, fanciful designs, ornate • Many of the styles were fads • German, John Henry Belter was famous for inventing a technique for bending strips of wood around a wooden frame by using steam and pressure.

INTERNATIONAL STYLE 1901 - Present • Non-traditional styles • Plain, functional style • Abandoned use of wood and natural materials • Used chrome, molded plastic, glass, and manufactured materials