Another form of the long seat was one which was intended to serve as a couch, or “day-bed.” It was really what its French name implies, chaise longue, or long chair, the back being an enlarged chair-back, and the body of the couch equalling three chair-seats. Illustration [204] shows a couch owned by the Concord Antiquarian Society, which formerly belonged to the descendants of the Rev. Peter Bulkeley. It had originally a cane seat, and evidently formed part of a set of furniture, for a chair of the same style is with it, which also belonged to the Bulkeley family. Both couch and chair are Flemish in design, with the scroll foot turning backward. The braces between the legs are carved in the same design as the top of the back.
Illus. 204.—Flemish Couch, 1680-1690.
Illustration [205] shows a walnut couch made in the Dutch style about 1720-1730, with bandy legs and Dutch feet. The splat in the back is Dutch, but instead of the side-posts curving into the top rail like the Dutch chairs, in which the top and the side-posts apparently form one piece, these posts run up, with a finish at the top like the Flemish chairs, and like the posts in the back of the couch in Illustration [204].
Illus. 205.—Dutch Couch, 1720-1730.
Illus. 206.—Chippendale Couch, 1760-1770.
It is interesting to compare this couch, which is owned by the Misses Hosmer of Concord, Massachusetts, with the following one, Illustration [206], which belongs to Mr. Walter Hosmer of Wethersfield, Connecticut, and was made about 1770. This couch, of mahogany, has a back like one of the familiar Chippendale chairs, somewhat higher than the back of the couch in Illustration [205], which is longer than this Chippendale couch.
