In cypress chests my arras counterpoints,
Costly apparel, tents, and canopies,
Fine linen, Turkey cushions boss’d with pearl,
Valance of Venice gold in needlework,
Pewter and brass, and all things that belong
To house or housekeeping.”[[1]]
PLATE VI
It is not unfitting that we should first recall a few of the distinguishing features of Elizabethan ornament, so frequently met with in the Jacobean home.
The carving was characterized by bold and deep cuttings, leaving the design in high relief. The panels of the chests, cabinets, cupboards, beds, etc., present a rich variety of subject. Figures taken from Biblical or mythological lore, grotesque monsters, animals and floral forms are met with; and of the latter we particularly find the rose, vine, carnation, lily, marigold, sunflower and tulip predominating. A typical floral panel is shown on Plate [X.], No. 7. Then we often see a diaper pattern, and, occasionally, the “linen fold.”