January, 1919 
engraved and colored bone. Otherwise 
they were of iron, or of iron gilt, in the 
form of cockle-shells, mulberries, drops 
or the like. 
The Baroque Period 
With the advent of Baroque influence 
in furniture design (1600-1735) there 
came an appreciable change in the 
character of mounts. 
In England from the time of the 
Restoration onward, the prevailing sur¬ 
face treatment of cabinetwork was flat, 
no matter how much that flat surface 
might be enriched and diversified in 
color and pattern by marqueterie, inlay 
or veneer, which were without relief, or 
by lacquer, where the relief was neg¬ 
ligible. Consequently, both the need 
and the propriety became apparent of 
mounts more conspicuous and more in¬ 
tricate than had hitherto been in use 
with highly carved surfaces. At the 
same time, the nature of the materials 
used in cabinetwork and the method of 
their treatment called for more bril¬ 
liancy in the mounts and a nicer de¬ 
gree of finish in their execution. 
Brass, therefore, quite naturally be¬ 
came the favorite material and was fret¬ 
ted, chased, and engraved, as well as 
punched, cast and molded. Bone and 
ivory were often used for keyhole fac¬ 
ings and bone, ivory and wood frequent¬ 
ly served as pulls. Not seldom did it 
happen that iron mounts on old pieces 
of furniture were replaced by the new 
and more fashionable brass mounts. 
The brass of this period differed from 
the metal used later in the 18th Cen¬ 
tury, in chemical composition; it was 
of a lighter yellow color and more ductile 
so that it lent itself more readily to 
chasing, engraving and other processes. 
Backplates and Pulls 
In the earlier part of the Baroque 
period of influence drop pulls were gen¬ 
erally either flat or hollow in the back, 
and were plain, molded, embossed, or 
engraved, as were also the rosettes or 
small circular plates from which they 
depended. The engraved and modeled 
or embossed mounts, especially escut¬ 
cheons or keyhole plates and the plates 
for drop pulls, exhibited compact de¬ 
signs of scrolls, fruit, flowers, foliage, 
cherubs’ heads and the like. Late in the 
17th Century bail pulls, with or with¬ 
out backplates, began to take the place 
of drop pulls and fairly early in the 18th 
Century drop pulls went quite out of 
fashion. The early backplates were 
often engraved or chased with minute 
designs of flowers, fruit, foliage and 
scrolls; so also, sometimes, were the 
contemporary keyhole plates. More fre¬ 
quently, however, backplates and escut¬ 
cheons were decoratively shaped in sil- 
(Continued on page 46) 
Shaped keyhole plates are a distinguishing feature 
of this mahogany block-front chest of drawers. 
The style is Baroque in effect 
Jacobean mounts were not conspicuous, but the designs, 
as shown by this group, have individuality. Keyhole 
escutcheons of either iron or brass were either modest or 
lacking. In later Jacobean times we find the brass es¬ 
cutcheons more graceftdly shaped and chased and fretted. 
Drawer handles were simple knobs at first, drop loops 
being introduced later. Hinges were neither conspicuous 
nor elaborate 
Baroque influence is seen in the en¬ 
graved brass keyhole plate and 
brass drop pulls of this Queen 
Anne secretaire 
An Empire jardiniere, showing 
the decorative brass mounts 
Sheraton mounts were much like 
those used on Hepplewhite furni¬ 
ture. This is a Sheraton group 
Neo-Classic infiuetice is shown in the oval back 
plates of the drawer pulls on this serpentine front 
chest of drawers 
Characteristic metal mounts of the William 
and Mary Period, showing the drop han¬ 
dles, keyplates, and an elaborate hinge 
Characteristic delicacy and classicism of design are 
found in the Adam metal mounts, as seen in this key- 
plate and two decorative drawer pulls 
