June, 1920 
41 
A splendid example of early Geor¬ 
gian highboy is of veneered wal¬ 
nut, with the broken-arch pedi¬ 
ment and gilded, inset shell 
decorations at top and bottom 
these chests of drawers and highboys we 
find the typical legs characteristic of the 
Jacobean, William and Mar}", Queen 
Anne, early Georgian, and later Georgian 
periods. 
By 1675 greater variations began to 
appear. The wide drawers were often 
divided into two panels, and moldings, 
in geometrical patterns, were used more 
lavishly. These chests were supported, 
for the most part, on short bracket or 
turned legs, sometimes little more than 
ball feet. Occasionally we find an evi¬ 
dent intention to lighten the effect and 
a few of the later Jacobean pieces were 
raised on turned or spiral legs with low 
stretchers. Up to this time no one had 
thought to make the top and bottom of 
the chest anything ljut straight and 
severely plain. 
Such old pieces are rare, but it is com¬ 
paratively easy to recognize the spiral 
legs and turning peculiar to the Jacobean 
period. One chest of drawers of about 
1765 is divided about half way between 
the floor and the top by a horizontal 
molding or plinth. Above this are three 
wide drawers and one below. All are 
divided into two panels of molding so 
that at first glance there seem to iDe eight 
instead of four drawers. The whole piece 
is made of oak; it is fitted with drop han¬ 
dles and has four spiral legs with stretch¬ 
ers. 
A third form of William and Mary design is 
found in this American-made walnut veneer ex¬ 
ample of about 1710. The six legs have given 
place to four slender ones with ball turning, ball 
feet, shaped stretcher and scalloped apron 
Another early Georgian highboy 
is of American make. It dates 
about 172S-17SO, and is of wal¬ 
nut with shell enriilwjents and 
chaste drawer pulls apd Re,y plates 
As it became more and more common' 
to rais6 the chest of drawers on longer 
legs or a higher frame, it assumed greater 
importatice* in the household, dliis sort 
of developihent was going on during the 
period of dje Re.storation. There was a 
gradual drifting away from the styles of 
the Jacobean period into those of W'illiam 
and Mar}". Oak was the wood most 
generally used up to 1700, when walnut 
became more common, though walnut 
chests of drawers were made as early as 
1675. Often the top drawer alone was 
divided into two panels. Brass drops 
became general, being cjuite small and 
either slender or pear-shaped. The es¬ 
cutcheons were smaller than those made 
in the 18th Century. 
As it became more and more evident 
that low drawers were inconvenient, the 
chest of drawers was raised higher until 
it rested on a sort of table. This table 
or frame was furnished with drawers, 
usually smaller ones. Thus what we 
know as the highboy came into being, 
though it was never called by that 
name. 
This was the latter part of the 17th 
Century and the beginning of the 18th— 
the William and Tvlary period—and the 
ornamental features of these early high¬ 
boys were in the ^^blliam and Mary style. 
They were built of oak, walnut, and. 
(Continued on page 70) 
