HOUSE AND GARDEN 
December, 1910 
S au ;v. _ J 
A large oak gate-leg table of the Stuart 
period. It possesses spiral legs that are 
unusually deeply and finely cut 
beds were probably 
very much like the 
early sixteenth cen¬ 
tury beds in general 
shape. There were 
cupboards and ar- 
moires also, but ex¬ 
amples are very 
rare. From an old 
historical document 
we learn that Henry 
III, in 1233, ordered 
the sheriff to attend 
to the painting of 
the wainscotted 
chamber in Win¬ 
chester Castle and to see that “the pictures and histories were 
the same as before.” Another order is for having the wall of 
the king’s chamber at Westminster “painted a good green color 
in imitation of a curtain.” These painted walls and stained glass 
that we know they had, and the tapestry, must have given a 
cheerful color scheme to the houses of the wealthy class even if 
there was not much comfort. 
The history of the great houses of England, and also the 
smaller manor-houses, is full of interest in connection with the 
study of furniture. There are many manor-houses that show all 
the characteristics of the Gothic, Renaissance, Tudor and Jacob¬ 
ean periods, and from them 
we can learn much of the life 
of the times. The early ones 
show absolute simplicity in 
the arrangement, one large 
hall for everything, and later 
a small room or two added. 
The fire was on the floor and 
the smoke wandered around 
until it found its way out at 
the opening, or louvre, in the 
roof. Then a chimney was 
built at the dais end of the 
hall, and the mantelpiece be¬ 
came an important part of the 
decoration. The hall was di¬ 
vided by “screens” into smaller 
rooms, leaving the remainder 
for retainers, and causing 
the clergy to inveigh against 
the new custom of the lord of 
the manor “eating in secret 
places.” The staircase de¬ 
veloped from the early wind¬ 
ing stair about a newel or 
post to the beautiful broad 
stairs of the Tudor period. 
They were usually six or 
seven feet broad, with about 
six wide easy steps and then 
a landing, and the carving on 
the balusters was often very 
elaborate and sometimes very 
' beautiful—a ladder raised to 
the nth power. 
Slowly the Gothic period 
died in England and slowly 
the Renaissance took its place. 
There was never the gaiety of 
decorative treatment that we 
An oak dining-table of the Tudor period. 
The lower struts are slightly ornamented 
by grooving and there is a tendency 
throughout towards lightening the gen¬ 
eral mass 
An Apostles bed of the Tudor period, so-called from the carved 
panels of the back. The over elaboration of the late Tudor work 
corresponded in time with France’s deterioration in the reign of 
Henry IV 
find in France, but 
the English work¬ 
man, while keeping 
their own individ¬ 
uality, learned a 
tremendous amount 
from the Italians 
who came to the 
country. Their in¬ 
fluence is shown in 
the Henry Vllth 
Chapel and in the 
old part of Hamp¬ 
ton Court Palace, 
built by Cardinal 
Wolsey. The relig¬ 
ious troubles between Henry VIII and the Pope and the change 
of religion helped to drive the Italians from the country, so the 
Renaissance did not get such a firm foothold in England as it did 
in France. The mingling of Gothic and Renaissance forms what 
we call the Tudor period. During the time of Elizabeth all trace 
of Gothic disappeared, and the influence of the Germans and 
Flemings who came to the country in great numbers, helped to 
shorten the influence of the Renaissance. The over elaboration 
of the late Tudor time corresponded with the deterioration shown 
in France in the time of Henry IV. The Hall of Gray’s Inn, the 
Halls of Oxford, the Charterhouse and the Hall of the Middle 
Temple are all fine examples 
of the Tudor period. 
We find very few names 
of furniture makers of those 
days; in fact, there are very 
few names known in connec¬ 
tion with the buildings them¬ 
selves. The word architect 
was very little used until after 
the Renaissance. The owner 
and the “surveyor” were the 
people responsible, and the 
plans, directions and details 
given to the workmen were 
astonishingly meagre. 
The great charm that we 
all feel in the Tudor and Ja¬ 
cobean periods is largely due 
to the beautiful paneled walls. 
Their woodwork has a color 
that only age can give and 
that no stain can copy. The 
first panels were longer than 
the later ones. Wide use was 
made of the beautiful “linen¬ 
fold” design in the wainscot¬ 
ing, and there was also much 
elaborate carving and strap- 
work. Scenes like the temp¬ 
tation of Adam and Eve were 
represented, heads in circular 
medallions, and simple deco¬ 
rative designs were used. In? 
the days of Elizabeth it be¬ 
came the fashion to have the- 
carving at the top of the panel¬ 
ing with plain panels below. 
Tudor and Jacobean mantel¬ 
pieces were most elaborate - 
and were of wood, stone or- 
