French and English furniture / distinctive styles and periods described and illustrated

by Esther Singleton

The hangings of the Grand Cabinet on the Arcade consisted of thirty-one lengths of gold brocade with flowers in gold thread, and thirty-one lengths of red damask of small design. The length was 2¼ ells. This was also used to decorate the space over the chimney. The frames of the seats were painted red picked out with gold. These comprised a fauteuil and eight tabourets covered with crimson velvet ornamented with gold braid and fringe, two small and twelve large folding-stools covered with crimson damask. In this room stood also a large sofa with two backs of gilded wood, known in that day as canapé à cremaillères (sofa with adjustable back). It was furnished with a mattress, covered on both sides with crimson velvet ornamented with gold braid, and valances of red velvet ornamented with gold braid and fringe. Its two round bolsters and two square pillows were similarly covered and decorated with gold tassels. The dimensions of this species of lit de repos were 7 feet, 2 inches long and 2½ feet wide. The window curtains were of red taffeta. Red taffeta was also used to line a handsome armoire here (7 feet, 9 inches high, 5 feet wide, and 3 feet, 2 inches deep) in which there were two shelves also draped with the said taffeta. The top of the armoire and the spaces over the doors were also covered with crimson taffeta. The two mirrors and the chandelier were supplied with cords and tassels of gold. In this sumptuous room were three superb pieces of marquetry—two desks and a cabinet—a walnut bureau, and about ten tables, most of which were card tables of various kinds; and one, a little walnut table used for meals in bed.

The Garde-robe en suite had a window curtain of white cotton and a small curtain of white taffeta. It contained a small upholstered bed, with a pavilion of red serge. The two small folding-seats, the frames of which were painted red picked out with gold, were covered with red velvet trimmed with a narrow gold braid.

PLATE XVII

Mademoiselle d’Aumale’s chamber at Versailles (1708) contained both a bed and a lit de repos, besides two fauteuils, five folding-seats, a small chair, a screen, two tables, the lower part of an armoire and a bureau. The bed 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 6 feet, 3 inches high, was hung with crimson and white damask of small pattern, and trimmed with a braid and fringe of red, white, and black silk. One fauteuil and the five folding-stools, the frames of which were painted red picked out with white, were covered with the same crimson and white damask, and the same fringe as the bed. The same fringe decorated a small chair with a back that was covered with red damask. The other fauteuil was covered with red linen. Its frame was painted green picked out with gold. The lit de repos was upholstered in crimson damask; two of its pillows were of the same, and two of red velvet, trimmed with gold braid. The window curtains were of white damask, trimmed with a braid and fringe of gold and silver. The screen, 3 feet 2 inches high, was of four leaves, and was covered with red velvet, trimmed with gold and silver braid. One of the tables, 3 feet, 3 inches long by 2 feet wide, was of beech, and was covered with a carpet of red London serge falling to the floor on all sides, the other was a walnut table, 25 inches by 18 inches, with a folding leg. The lower part of the armoire was also covered with a cloth of red London serge. The bureau was of marquetry of cherry-wood, inlaid with green ebony in foliage design. It had compartments, four drawers, and a door, and stood on eight legs of term-shaped pillars of the same marquetry, the bases and capitals being of gilded wood. This piece of furniture was 2 feet 9 inches long, and 1 foot 9 inches wide.

The cabinet of Madame la Maréchale de Rochefort (1708) contained a lit de repos, a fauteuil, four chairs with backs, two banquettes, and a table. The lounge with its two round bolsters and two square pillows, and the chairs were covered with aurora-coloured and blue damask, trimmed with gold and silver braid, the wood painted red picked out with aurora. The window curtains, each containing six lengths (2⅓ ells each) were of white damask, trimmed with a braid of gold and silver, and there were also two small curtains of white taffetas, and a portière of Venetian brocatelle of blue background with flowers of aurora, white, and black, lined with aurora-coloured serge. The table, 2 feet 7 inches long by 23 inches wide, was of violet wood, inlaid with ebony and white wood. It contained a drawer, and was supported on four termed pillars with gilt bases and capitals.

The chamber of Mlle. Gaudry (1708) had in it a bed, a fauteuil de commodité, five folding-seats, and two bureaux. The bed, composed of three outside hangings, three large curtains, two bonnes grâces, valances, and pommes, was draped in crimson Lyons damask, trimmed with a braid of aurora-coloured silk. The seats were upholstered in red velvet, trimmed with red and aurora-coloured silk. One of the bureaux was covered with a carpet of red leather, lined with red serge; the leather carpet of the other was lined with green serge.

The apartments of the Duke of Orleans at Versailles in 1708 consisted of an antechamber, a chamber, a cabinet and a garde-robe beside the chamber.

The antechamber was hung with gold leather on a red background, the designs representing branches and masques of gold, and children and birds in natural hues. An eight-leaved screen, seven feet high, a form covered with red moquette and the lower part of an armoire furnished this room.

The chamber contained a bed, four fauteuils, three chairs with backs, six folding-stools, two screens, a table, a bureau en commode, two guéridons, a fauteuil de commodité and six tabourets. The window-curtains were of white damask, trimmed with gold fringe, but the room was hung with red velvet of a design of small branches, trimmed with gold braid. The portières, lined with taffeta, were also of this material. The outside draperies of the bed, which was 6½ feet long, 6 feet, 3 inches wide and 10 feet, 10 inches high, were of the same red velvet, trimmed with gold braid and fringe, but the inside curtains, headboard, etc., were of gold watered silk. In the centre of the headboard was a cypher and a fleur-de-lis. The canopy was decorated with four red velvet pommes, upon each of which was a bunch of white feathers. The frames of all the seats were painted red picked out with gold. One of the screens had a gilded frame and was covered with red velvet; the other, covered with red damask with a design of crowns and gold and silver flowers, ornamented with gold braid and a double fringe of gold and silver, was supported by a stem of gilded wood on three console feet. The bureau en commode was of walnut, as was also the small table. The latter was inlaid with ebony, contained a drawer and stood on four twisted columns. This had two table carpets, one of red velvet, lined with taffeta and trimmed with gold braid and gold fringe trailing over the floor; the other, of leather, lined with serge and trimmed with gold braid. The bureau en commode had two large drawers with iron rings. The two tables were of black Chinese lacquer ornamented with gold. They were each 3 feet, 5 inches high, the leg of each resting on three women’s heads of gilt bronze. The fauteuil de commodité was of crimson damask, trimmed with gold and silver fringe, and its frame painted red picked out with gold. The wood of the six tabourets was also red picked out with gold, the legs being term-shaped. These were covered with red damask, having a design of crowns and gold and silver flowers.