Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

10 Conservation of Furniture
often with the frame separate from the end
posts.
Storage became more important and the idea
of a cupboard made the transition from ‘a cupboard
with things on, to one with things in’.
The raising of a chest on tall legs gave the first
sideboard or table, and the planked hutch
gradually developed into the court cupboard
and buffet. Nevertheless, chests remained the
most important storage devices and were available
in a wide variety of forms, shapes and
sizes.
France developed two items that deserve
mention: the ‘lit de repos’ or daybed, lavishly
decorated with drapes and materials, and the
‘caquetoire’ chair with its trapezoidal seat and
narrow carved back, which was invariably
decorated with carved or pierced back panels.
Design and construction
During the early part of the sixteenth century,
tenon-jointed frames, pegs and dowels were
used to make the panelled construction that
was in general use. This had been introduced
from Flanders in the fifteenth century. The
frame and panelling technique could be either
left open for chairs, stools or tables, or
enclosed with the panels for wall covering,
boxes, chests and settles. During the sixteenth
century the development of the true constructional
mitre allowed the mouldings to be precut
on the stiles and posts before assembly
rather than being cut like masons’ mouldings
over the true joint. Thus the basic techniques
of making were established and would serve
the joiner well, until the advent of the cabinetmaker
in the later seventeenth century.
Figure 1.5 Diagram of a drawleaf
table, shown fully extended
and with the centre panel
removed. This design was
introduced into England around
1600 by European craftsmen and
is often associated with the
drawings of Hans Vredeman de
Vries (1527–c.1604)
Turning created some of the more elaborate
chair forms during the sixteenth and early seventeenth
century (Figure 1.6). The description
‘turned all over’ gives an indication of the
design. These chairs, the work of turners, were
different from traditional chair construction in
that their joints were usually dowelled and
pegged rather than mortised and tenoned.
Figure 1.6 Turned or ‘thrown’ chair with triangular
seat, early seventeenth century