Furniture History (Part 2) : William and Mary style furniture 1689 - 1702

William III and Mary II reigned over England, Ireland and Scotland from 1689. Mary died in 1694, William in 1702.

William and Mary style has Flemish, Dutch, French and Chinese influences. Huguenot refugees from France worked in the cabinetmakers’.

It is characterized by trumpet turned legs, terminating in a hoof, claw, ball, or bun feet, padded or caned chair seats, and Oriental lacquer-work.

The chair backs were high, and rounded at the top with carving, shaped slightly to fit the shape of your back. The banisterback chair, with and without arms, replaced the cane back chair. The back legs of the chairs were splayed out at the bottom. Settees, upholstered or with loose cushions came in the main room.

Highboys and lowboys, with six high elaborated trumpet-shaped legs or spiral-turned legs, appeared and rapidly became a favorite of the Colonial furniture craftsmen.

Some of the furniture was made of oak , but the Colonial workmen were finding walnut, maple, pine, apple wood, sycamore, and other native woods much easier to use.

Marquetry became an important feature of decoration often the form of elaborate floral patterns, cockle shell and acanthus leaf, or  seaweed.

Some of the furniture was painted and gilded.

Hardware, made of cast brass, became decorative as well as functional.

 Bed

Chair

Desk

Armoire

Mirror

 

Table