Chapter III: Part 3

The general impression of the Louis XIV. style is that of imposing majesty,—a style that is more appropriate to ceremonial rooms than to familiar living. It is an age of carved and gilded furniture; the period indeed has been called “the triumph of gilded wood.” The carving, however, is entrusted to sculptors who seem to find inspiration in the work of the goldsmiths, for the complicated ornamentation that appears on the frames of chairs sofas, consoles, tables, etc., etc., suggests the chiselling of metal. Dead gold and burnished gold are both used, and the profusion of scrolls, leafy boughs, guilloches, heavy foliage, lozenge-shaped imbrications embossed with flowers in high relief, shells and flowers in high relief, arranged as festoons, garlands, bouquets, and sheaves, not to speak of the acanthus, the mascaron and the cartouche, produce an appearance of luxury and brilliancy that was unknown until the days of Louis XIV.

In the reign of Louis XIV., it was generally understood that every piece of decorative work should consist of a combination of the straight line and the curve. A series of bars interlaced, or ending with scrolls, is a distinguishing characteristic of this period. This combination is found not only in the forms of the furniture, but in the inlays of wood and brass and upon the walls of rooms, both painted and carved.

A feeling of stoutness and width characterizes the mouldings, the hollows of which never refuse to admit light, and these architectural mouldings are usually rich in classic ornaments (palm-leaves, ovolos, etc.). Sometimes the mouldings are replaced by a torus enriched with imbricated laurel-leaves.

The bases and supports of the furniture rest broadly and firmly on the ground. There are broad surfaces and few projections of detailed ornamentation that would cast shadows; the colours are bold and brilliant, the cornices resemble Roman capitals, the straining-rails are, as a rule, heavy and rectangular in section, and, with the exception of _armoires_ and beds, the furniture is not high above the floor. Tables are supported by pilasters, or massive columns.

The characteristic ornamentation of the first period of the Louis XIV. style, which was dominated by Lepautre, is Roman or heroic. The motives are, for the most part, such as would appeal to a warrior or hero. We find trophies of antiquity where the cuirass, surmounted by a helmet, is accompanied by swords, and even by the lictor’s fasces, and sometimes they are heaped up in a mass, suggesting the spoils of war,—such as cuirasses, casques with plumes, shields, fasces, laurel wreaths and clubs. The winged Victory is also omnipresent, and Victories blowing trumpets are used. We also find allegorical figures, mythological divinities, river-gods resting on their urns, great cornucopias much heavier and with wider openings than those of Louis XIII., and heavy garlands, or swags, of fruits and leaves, having much longer and fuller leaves than the Louis XIII. style, and these trails of foliage frequently display a wealth of ample scrolls. The acanthus leaf, which is so popular, becomes very broad, even bloated, and all the other leaves in use are now strong and powerful. The mascaron, typical examples of which are seen on Plate XIV., Nos. 1, 2, and 3, the _fleur-de-lis_, the double L (the King’s cypher) represented on Plate XVI., Nos. 2 and 4, complete, with the cartouche, the characteristic ornamentation. Upon the latter are displayed the coats-of-arms, the _fleur-de-lis_ and the double L, as represented on the plate just referred to. The cartouche has a strongly rounded and projecting field, and its form is either circular or oval,—a real ellipse (quite different from the egg-shaped oval of Louis XVI.). There is another peculiar decoration, consisting of a strange combination of the scroll and shell; the anthemion,[11] treated as a shell (see Plate XV., central ornament on No. 2) and the scroll mingled with the foliage of the acanthus.

The second period of the _style Louis Quatorze_ is especially characterized by Bérain, and is nothing more than an attenuated Louis XIV., which forms a quite natural transition to the style of the Regency.

The swelling curves and the heavy masses of decoration gradually become finer, more delicate and more refined, until at length they merge into the succeeding period.

Another characteristic taste of the day was for the Chinese style. One of the Trianon palaces exhibited in high degree this taste for _la chinoiserie_ in decoration. It was called the _palais de porcelaine_. Four of its small pavilions were ornamented with plaques of _faïence_ in imitation of porcelain. The interior was painted also in porcelain. The walls were covered with mirrors and the furniture was extremely sumptuous. The flowers and shrubs were planted in handsome porcelain pots.

One of the distinctive styles of furniture at this period is that made by André Charles Boulle (also written Boule and Bühl). He was the son of Jean and the nephew of Pierre Boulle, both of whom were “_menuisiers du roi_” and lived in the Louvre. Our Boulle, born in 1642, also lived in the Louvre from 1672 until his death in 1732, and when Louis XIV. established his manufactory at the Gobelins he was made “_ébéniste, ciseleur, et marqueteur ordinaire du Roi_.”

Boulle’s furniture is exclusively _de luxe_, or _apparat_, and only harmonizes with rich surroundings. It consists almost exclusively of consoles, _armoires_, commodes, cabinets, tables, desks and clock cases,—forms that present large surfaces for the decoration that he carried to such perfection. His designs are very heavy. Occasionally they take the curved, or _bombé_ forms. This swelling curve is especially found in the _commodes tombeaux_ (tomb-commodes) and _commodes à panse_ (paunch chests).

Boulle’s furniture was an excuse for decoration, which was carried so far that even the joinings of the panels were lost beneath the clever designs of foliage, flower, or scroll. Many pieces still exist that were merely intended for show (_apparat_). Yet nothing could be richer than Boulle’s work, with its marquetry of exotic woods, its incrustations of tortoise-shell, its threads of copper or pewter beautifully engraved, its scarlet lines and its splendid gilt mascarons, handles, and bas-reliefs that form a sort of frame for the beautiful marquetry-work. Particularly handsome are the console-tables, upon whose marble slabs should stand rich vases of goldsmith work, jasper or porphyry, perhaps, with gilt mouldings and garlands; and, when these are reflected back by numerous mirrors, the effect is dazzling.

“No one would refuse to admit,” says Havard, “that the architecture is the least remarkable part of the creations of this celebrated artist. His great merit independently of the perfection of the work of his _ébénisterie_, must be sought elsewhere. Boulle is a colourist in his art more than a designer. The contours of his furniture are often heavy, and he added nothing new. You may find all the elements in the immense work of Le Brun, the great master of decorative art under Louis XIV. The superiority and the originality of this cabinet-maker consists in the admirable combination of the bronze and the copper with the background of the furniture which he understood how to vary infinitely by the multiplicity of incrustations and mosaics upon the groundwork of oak and chestnut. This was his palette, from which he drew his surprising effects and on which he played with his consummate virtuosity; it is to this that he owes his legitimate renown, greater even in England that it is in France.”

Boulle’s furniture is now highly prized by collectors and brings enormous prices. In 1882, two large _armoires_ by Boulle from the Duke of Hamilton’s collection fetched £12,075 at Christie’s in London. In the famous Jones collection at South Kensington there is an _armoire_ specially noted for its beautiful decoration. Mr. Jones bought it from a house in Carlton Terrace, London, for a small sum many years ago, and it is now valued at £10,000. It is supposed to have been designed by Bérain and made by Boulle for Louis XIV.

In looking over the French inventories of Louis XIV.’s time, we frequently come across the description of a bed that belongs to an earlier period. It is not surprising that these old beds, with their magnificent hangings that are sometimes described as much faded, or as lacking some of their decorations, should have been valued and bequeathed from generation to generation. In some of the castles, therefore, the beds were historic. Sometimes they had special names by which they were known. For instance, among the valuable beds owned by the Crown was a bed mi-party of embroidered violet velvet and cloth of gold that was known as “_lit d’Angleterre_,” because the arms of England were embroidered in the centre of the headboard with the device “_Honi soit qui mal y pense_.” Another bed was anciently called the “_lit des satyres_,” because upon its draperies were depicted Diana and her nymphs and satyrs. Another was known as the “_lit de Melusine_,” because that serpent-princess was represented on the headboard as bathing in a fountain. Such beds, belonging to a former age, were frequently to be met with in luxurious and ancient dwellings; yet we cannot associate them with the days of Louis XIV. Nor was the _lit en housse_ abandoned. It is indeed quite frequently found. Even as late as 1708, M. de Leger’s chamber contains a _lit en housse_ (3½ feet wide and 6 feet long) of violet and white damask trimmed with a mixed silk fringe. The four folding-stools in this room were covered with the same. On Plate XV. (No. 1) a transitional bed is shown; this forms a link between the _lit en housse_ of the Louis XIII. period and the _lit d’ange_ of the Louis XIV. period. The latter, also represented on Plate XV., is the characteristic bed of this age, and is the model to be kept in view when reading the descriptions of the beds in the following pages, and the model that should be imitated when arranging a bedroom of this period.

The position of the bed is always “_vu de pied_,”—standing out in the room.

According to the _Dictionnaire de Trévoux_, a _lit d’ange_ was a bed without pillars or posts, and whose curtains were looped back. To add to this, other authorities say that the _ciel_, or canopy, while being the same width as the bed, must not be as long. If it covers the entire bed, then it is a _lit à la duchesse_, and if it lacks a carved or decorative cornice, then it becomes simply a _lit à pavillon_. Finally, according to Havard, the true difference between a _lit d’ange_ and a “_lit vu de pieds_” of to-day is not to be determined by the dimensions of the canopy, nor by the arrangement of the curtains or lambrequins, which are the same, but that the foot of the bed is not simply covered by a long _courtepointe_, or counterpane, but should have the squares of drapery (_cantonnières_), hanging from the mattress repeating the form and trimmings of the upper valance and rest of the bed furniture.

An early _lit d’ange_ recorded occurs in Cardinal Mazarin’s inventory, dated 1653, and is described as a _lit d’ange_ of China gauze on a background of flame-coloured silk, with flowers and syrens in gold. The counterpane and six curtains were of this rich material adorned with gold fringe. The _lit d’ange_ continued in fashion for about a hundred years. It became as popular as the _lit en housse_ had been; and, if we may believe _Des mots à la mode_, one of the merits of a courtier in 1692 was to “_juger en dernier ressort du grand art de retrousser les rideaux d’un lit d’ange_.”

The _lit d’ange_ was sometimes as high as 12 feet; but it was generally 11 feet high, 6 feet wide, and nearly 7 feet long. Single beds were about 6 feet long, 6 feet high, and 3 feet wide. They were evidently comfortable, as the average number of mattresses was three, besides a feather-bed, and the bolster was frequently of down. Pillows never seem to have been used on the bed at all. For instance, the furnishings of Madame de Maintenon’s bed were: two woollen mattresses covered with fustian, one feather-bed, one hair-bolster; and, in addition to the sheets, she had a red blanket, a Marseilles quilt, and a wadded white satin quilt, the reverse being of white taffeta. Over the white Marseilles quilt, the crimson damask counterpane was smoothly drawn, and the valance neatly adjusted. Mademoiselle d’Aumale’s bed had three mattresses and a feather-bed and a feather-bolster. She had two white woollen blankets and a white Marseilles quilt.

The various pieces of the bed were valances (upper and lower), _cantonnières_ (for definition, see note on page 85), straight curtains called _bonnes grâces_, outside curtains, headboard, canopy, posts, and _pommes_, or knobs. The four-post bedstead has nearly become extinct, and now the beds have but two posts only at the head. These are almost invariably covered with a kind of sheath, or case, made of brocade, silk, or velvet, matching, or contrasting with, the curtains. Taffeta is a favourite material for lining the curtains, and almost every bed is decorated with some kind of braid and fringe, usually gold, or gold and silver mixed. In addition to the beds described in the preceding pages, we may note here other typical beds that would serve as suggestions for the designer of to-day. One is a bed of reddish brown velvet, embroidered with gold, and trimmed with a gold braid and fringe; the valances, headboard, posts, and canopy were of this material, while the three curtains were of a gold, silver, and violet brocade lined with red taffeta. Another was of green and white muslin, trimmed with a woollen braid and fringe of green and white; a third, is a pavilion bed of red and white muslin, trimmed with red and white fringe; and a fourth, a “_lit en dome_” of striped gauze, the stripes being gold, silver, and flame-colour. The ornamental fringe was a narrow one of gold and silver. The draperies were arranged in seven festoons. The counterpane was also of this striped gauze.

Returning to the _lit d’ange_, one owned by the King himself is of extraordinary elaborateness, being entirely embroidered on a gold background, with flowers, quivers, cartouches with the arms and cypher of the King, and, moreover, ornamented with gold lace. On the ceiling, there was painted a little picture representing Night; and on the centre of the counterpane, a picture representing Sleep. A heavy gold cord, tied in knots and decorated with tassels, looped back the curtains. The wood at the foot was visible. It was carved in the form of two pillars at the foot representing children on eagles, each carrying on his head a perfume-vase. This frame and all the rest of the visible wood was gilded. The detail (No. 2) on Plate XV. represents the base of a less ornate bed and one of a later period than this of the King. Here there is a feeling that anticipates the coming period of the Regency, although the cloven foot, or hind’s foot has long been familiar, and is of frequent occurrence in Boulle’s work. The mascaron, too, above the foot, is not new, nor is the shell, or anthemion ornament, in the centre. The general effect of the curve is what announces the coming style.

Two beds belonging to Louis XIV. were described in 1718 after his death, and as having been made especially for him. One was _à la duchesse_ (_demi ciel_), and the other was _à l’Impériale_ (the dome surmounted by a crown). The latter must have been very handsome, as it was of yellow damask, embroidered in silver, the design being foliage, leaves, berries, and seeds. The whole bed was finished with a fringe of amaranth chenille. What a charming combination! yellow and silver with a touch of reddish purple!

In addition to the beds already mentioned the _banc à lit_ sometimes appears.

There were two in Madame de Maintenon’s apartments: one was 5 feet, 10 inches long, and 2 feet, 2 inches wide. This was covered with moquette and furnished with two bolsters and a pavilion of red serge. The other was 3½ feet long and 2½ feet wide. It had a cover of crimson damask and was surmounted by a pavilion of red serge.

In nearly every room of the period, a _lit de repos_ is found. Two varieties of this piece of furniture are shown on Plate VIII. and on Plate XIII., one having but one back and the other, two. It was always richly upholstered and furnished with a round bolster at each end and sometimes with two square cushions as well. Although frequently called _chaise longue_, this couch is more generally known in France at this period as _lit de repos_. Toward the end of the reign of Louis XIV. it was placed in the niche, lengthwise of course. Its covering always agreed with the rest of the furnishings of the room; but sometimes we come across one described by itself; as for example, one in 1671 that had a double back, that is to say, a back at each end, like the one from the Château de Chenonceau on Plate XIII. This was furnished with two round bolsters, two square pillows and two mattresses, all upholstered in a silk brocade of violet, aurora and white, trimmed with a braid of the same colours and a fringe of gold, silver and silk. The wood of the frame was carved and painted violet and white and gold. The slip cover for this beautiful couch was of changeable taffeta, of the hue known as _gorge de pigeon_.

We may note here that all the sofas, chairs and folding-seats, as well as couches, had separate _housses_ or slip covers that were made as a rule of taffeta. They were used to protect the furniture.

The seats of the period consisted of _fauteuils_, or arm-chairs, chairs with backs, folding-stools, _tabourets_, and the sofa, or _canapé_. It is not necessary to describe the court etiquette regarding the ceremonial use of the seats: the details regarding the _tabouret_ would fill a chapter. The _fauteuil_ and the _canapé_ were reserved for the highest in rank; the characteristic _fauteuil_ on Plate XIII. consisting of a stuffed seat, a square back, scroll arms partly upholstered, term legs and heavy straining-rails. Modifications of the frame of this chair appear in No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 on the same plate. The _canapé_ on Plate XIV. is of the same general form. The frames of the seats, particularly those destined for ball-rooms and other extremely luxurious apartments, were carved and gilt; but many were painted in hues that harmonized with the hangings of the rooms, and picked out with gold, silver, white, or any other required thread of colour. They were always richly upholstered in velvet, damask, brocade or tapestry, as is shown on Plates XIII. and XIV. The materials were fastened to the seats by means of gold or silver-headed nails, as shown in No. 2 and No. 3 on Plate XIII.; and often, too, the nails were above fringe, as shown in the arm-chair on Plate XIII. Sometimes a braid or lace was used to hide the ordinary nails, and sometimes, again, a small lambrequin, or valance surrounded the frame of the seat, nearly reaching to the floor (see Plate XXI., No. 3). The splendid list of chairs at the Château de Turenne in 1700 gives a very excellent idea of the chairs of the day. They include: _fauteuils_ of crimson velvet trimmed with gold braid and gold fringe; of cloth-of-gold; of violet velvet and of green velvet; many folding-stools; chairs covered with serge, violet cloth, moquette, yellow moquette, black leather, yellow leather, cloth-of-gold with designs of crimson velvet, and chairs painted green and yellow and upholstered in green. We also learn of six folding-stools covered with white satin, embroidered with Chinese figures and trimmed with gold fringe; three _fauteuils_ and three cushions of Flanders brocatelle,—red, aurora and white; twenty-four folding-stools and twelve square cushions of blue velvet embroidered with gold and silver, and two _fauteuils_, six folding-seats, two square pillows and _tabouret_ of flesh-coloured and silver brocade.

The fringes used for the chairs, stools and beds were very elaborate, and there was an extremely large number of them, in knots, twists, tassels, tufts, headed by plaited and twisted braids of many kinds and known under many names. So many specimens of these have been preserved that one cannot go astray in upholstering any article in the Louis XIV. style.

Towards the close of this period, a new _fauteuil_ makes its appearance. Its back is arched and slightly curved, and its feet end in a carved leaf. This is one of the first indications of the coming style of Louis XV. This is also felt in the curving chair-back that appears on Plate XIII. (No. 4) and on Plate XVIII. (No. 5).

The legs and feet of the chairs are usually cut in the tapering form with four faces, and ornamented with marquetry, paint or gilding. Many of them have straining-rails that intersect in the form of an X, as is shown on Plate XIII.; and these usually carry at their point of intersection a little ornament such as a steeple, or a rose. Some of them have a carved front rail, and others have a wooden moulding below the seat instead of a fringe. The arms nearly always end in the scrolled acanthus, and some of them are padded. Plate XIII. gives several examples.

A piece of furniture that dates from this reign was the Commode, a kind of desk or _bureau_, containing drawers for the preservation of linen, or clothing or small articles. Its top slab is usually of marble. The _Dictionnaire de Trévoux_ says, in 1771, the name was given to it on account of its great commodity. It seems to have been always a very handsome article. Although Littré speaks of it, in 1760, as a “newly invented piece of furniture,” the _Inventaire du Garde Meuble of Versailles_, in 1700, shows us that the Duc d’Orléans had a “_bureau de commode_” of walnut. This was 3 feet, 5 inches long and 25 inches wide. It contained two drawers with iron rings. Among the _Meubles de la Couronne_, Versailles (1720–1730), there were two “_commodes de marqueterie_,” of many-coloured flowers on a background of ebony. Upon the top, the ornament was a vase of flowers standing on the end of a column with festoons of flowers, birds, butterflies and two grotesque masques. Six _fleurs-de-lis_ ornamented the corners and the centre of the sides. In front were three large drawers, and the locks and rings were of gilt bronze. These commodes were 4 feet, 2 inches long, 2 feet, 7 inches wide and 2 feet, 8 inches high. Another “commode” is described as veneered with _palissandre_ (violet-wood) with a marble slab. This was _bombé_ in front and contained three drawers, the locks, handles and other ornaments of gilt bronze. Its dimensions were 31 inches high; 3 feet, 8 inches long; and 24 inches wide.

Bérain and Lepautre designed many commodes of excessive richness, which even the magnificent examples of Boulle, one of which is given on Plate XIV., did not surpass.

The Duchess of Orleans owned a walnut commode 3 feet, 7 inches long, and 2 feet wide, containing three drawers with iron rings. The Duke had a _bureau en commode_, 3 feet, 5 inches long, and 25 inches wide, containing two large drawers with iron rings.

Madame de Gaudry (1708) had an oak bureau containing three drawers with iron rings. It was 3 feet, 4 inches long, and 2 feet, 1 inch wide. It was covered with a leather carpet lined with green serge. She also had a pine bureau containing two large drawers with copper rings. This measured 3 feet, 3 inches by 26 inches. A red leather carpet lined with red serge covered it.

Madame de Maintenon owned a veneered walnut bureau inlaid with threads of ebony. It had seven drawers on each side with copper gilt key-plates. This piece was 5 feet long and 2½ feet wide, supported by eight small columns. It was covered with a carpet of red velvet bordered with a narrow gold braid.

The Duchess of Orleans had a walnut table in the form of a bureau with two large drawers. It was 3 feet, 4 inches long and 25 inches wide. There were two covers for it: one of red leather and the other of red damask and gold _moiré_. Both covers were trimmed with gold braid and gold fringe.

The dressing-table as a separate piece of furniture seems to have been unknown. All the contemporary illustrations of ladies at their toilettes show them seated before a rather low table which is covered with a cloth, sweeping the floor, over which is spread another cloth probably of linen or leather. Upon it stand a small mirror and all the vases, pots, cushions, and small articles for paint, patches and perfumes. Sometimes the dressing-table was arranged like the one on Plate XXIII., No. 1, or again a commode, or table with drawers, was placed under a mirror, as shown in No. 3 and Nos. 5 and 8, also on Plate XXIII.

The handsomest tables of the day were of marquetry, ornamented with mascarons, or of carved and gilded wood. Many of them have the hind’s foot, or the term leg, and are connected with straining-rails. However, tables were also made of violet-wood, walnut, pine, cherry, or other woods, with simple turned feet. These were always covered with a carpet, or cloth, that matched the hangings of the room. The card-tables were sometimes three-cornered and sometimes cut into five faces. The _guéridon_, the shape of which was a stem, bearing a small round top and ending in three feet, was often used for cards. Typical tables are shown on Plates XIII and XVI.

Madame de Maintenon’s tables included two tables of violet wood each 2 feet, 8 inches long, by 2 feet wide. Their covers were black velvet trimmed with gold braid. She also had a little table of cherry, 2 feet, 3 inches long, and 17½ inches wide, with a drawer and compartments. It was inlaid with ebony in a design of lozenges and foliage and stood on four term-shaped pillars. The Duke of Orleans had a walnut table inlaid with ebony. It stood on four twisted legs and contained a drawer. The dimensions were 2 feet, 11 inches long, by 23 inches wide.

The console is somewhat squarer than that of the former period, and stands frequently with its back against a pier glass. The slab is of marble and sometimes of rich mosaic. The hind’s feet here give place to the termed legs, which are joined by straining-rails. Some of them have eight feet, that is to say, four double feet.

Another form of the console is shown on Plate XVI., No. 1, the leg of which appears also on Plate XVI. as No. 4. This is decorated with the ram’s head, heavy swags of flowers, the cartouche with the double L and the woman’s head. The curved scroll under the slab proclaims the advent of the new style.

Cabinets, desks and _armoires_ were sumptuous. A typical marquetry desk, 3 feet, 10 inches long, and 2 feet, 4 inches wide, inlaid with many coloured woods on a background of ebony, contained seven drawers and a door on which a _fleur-de-lis_ was represented. The drawers were furnished with gilt bronze key-plates. On the top of the desk, the design was a vase of flowers, foliage, birds and butterflies, all surrounded by a border of marquetry between two bands of violet wood and threads of white. Each desk stood on eight termed pillars with capitals and feet of gilt wood.

A marquetry cabinet inlaid with bright flowers on ebony and ornamented with bands of violet-wood and white was composed of two sections, each having three doors with gilt copper locks.

The Duchess of Orleans owned a cabinet of marquetry in two parts, containing three wings and three drawers of marquetry of copper and pewter on ebony, enriched with columns, pilasters, squares, bands and pyramids of lapis; in the centre of each of the three wings were masques of men and women in copper-gilt carrying on their heads baskets of flowers and fruits, also copper-gilt. The feet were four consoles; on the two central ones were two children of gilded wood, and on the straining-rail a little child holding a blue shield in a cartouche of gilded wood. The dimensions of the whole were 5 feet, 4 inches long, 18 inches deep, and 4 feet, 3 inches high.

The favourite clock is Boulle’s. It stands on the mantel-piece, or upon a pedestal, or term. The tall clock in the long pedestal-shaped box was also in use.

Some of the frames of the clocks follow the designs shown on Plate XVII., Nos. 2 and 3.

The pedestal that Boulle makes for his clocks have almost an architectural form; they are like a kind of small pavilion, at the top of which is the dial. The legs are most frequently formed by a scroll of foliage terminating in a clawed paw. The subject on top is usually Time with his scythe, or some mythological symbol.

On Plate XVI., No. 3, is shown a portion of a _console d’applique_ of carved wood painted in gray _céladon_, dating from the end of the Louis XIV. period, the two scroll feet joined by a stretcher, the side supports swelling into the bust and head, the front curved rail having in the centre a cartouche with a woman’s head enclosed with the skeleton C (a broken scroll freely used later), and the acanthus. The head at the side supports is adorned with plumes and flowers.

The screen is met with in nearly every room. Sometimes it consists of several leaves, and again it is in the form shown on Plate XVII. Sometimes the tapestry, or the leather, or damask, or whatever material is used for the covering, is garnished with gold braid and fringe, or it is tacked to the frame by means of gold nails, as shown in the above example.

The mirror is far more generally used than in the former reign. It is seen in every home and in every room. Its frame is carved and gilded and in a variety of designs. A characteristic example is shown on Plate XIII.

We may know what furniture was considered necessary for a room by the following information from inventories between 1675 and 1700: One set of furniture consisted of a bed, four _fauteuils_, twenty-eight folding-stools, a screen and a table-carpet of embroidery on a gold background depicting the history of Moses.

Another set consisted of a bed, three _fauteuils_, eight folding-stools, two table-carpets, two cushions, a screen, a daïs and wall-hangings. The material for these decorations was velvet branches of bright amaranth on a silver background, combined with another material of cloth-of-silver with little flowers of amaranth. The bed, which was 6½ feet long and 7½ feet high, comprised three valances, four curtains, four _cantonnières_[12] and three lower valances, all of the velvet; while the three outside valances, the sheaths for the two bed-posts, and the _couverture de parade_, and the linings of the curtains, were of the cloth of silver with amaranth flowers. The whole bed was trimmed with gold and silver braid, and on the top of the canopy were four _pommes_ with bunches of mixed feathers, probably white and amaranth.

Another set of furniture was of red satin and white taffeta in squares, and ornamented with gold braid and gold fringe. The pieces comprised a bed, three _fauteuils_, twelve folding-stools, a table-carpet, a screen and a square cushion. The bed was 7 feet high and 6 feet wide; its three valances, four _cantonnières_ and three lower valances were of the red and white taffeta embroidered with gold, while its four curtains, head-board, interior hangings and two posts were covered with gold brocade.

We also learn of a set comprising a bed, three _fauteuils_, six chairs with backs, twelve folding-stools, a daïs and a _chaise de commodité_ of blue velvet, ornamented with gold and silver braid and fringe.

Another set was of white damask trimmed with fringes of gold, silver and green silk; another was of white damask and gold; and another set consisting of a bed, eleven folding-seats and four _fauteuils_, was of Spanish leather, cut out, embroidered and edged with black, and laid on blue damask. The carpet for the table and the two square cushions were of the same.

In many rooms of the day, the alcove occurs. It was introduced from Spain, and took its name from the Spanish alcoba and the Arabic _Al Koba_, the tent, or the place where one sleeps, or rests. It was made fashionable by its appearance in the Hôtel de Rambouillet, and, of course, the home of every _Précieuse_ had to have one. Fouquet had rooms with alcoves at his Château de Vaux and when “_La grande Mademoiselle_” took refuge at her Château de Saint-Fargeau, during the troubles of La Fronde, she at once conformed to the taste of the day. “On the very day” (of her arrival) she writes: “I wished to change the chimney-pieces and doors and to make an alcove.”

The alcove became so fashionable that it soon supplanted the _ruelle_; and the “_coureurs de ruelles_” were known thenceforward as “_coquets d’alcôvistes_.”

But what they called alcove in the Seventeenth was not what they called alcove in the Eighteenth Century. At first, it was a part of the room set apart from the rest by a railing or some columns of architectural pretensions. In 1684, in the _État du mobilier de la couronne_ there is mentioned an alcove balustrade of chiselled silver of fabulous price.

The alcove was in reality a little room within a large room and here the bed and chairs for guests were placed.

Typical and luxurious alcoves are shown in the designs by Marot and Lepautre.

Fouquet had an alcove hung with crimson satin enriched with gold embroidery. At President Tubeuf’s the hangings of the alcove were ornamented with bands of black velvet alternating with bands of English tapestry. Molière’s was hung with red taffeta garnished with fringe and tassels of aurora silk.

Madame de Maintenon’s apartments at Versailles, in 1708, consisted of the first antechamber, the second antechamber, the chamber, the “_garde-robe_” behind the bed, the “_grand cabinet_ upon the arcade,” and “_garde-robe en suite_.”

The walls of the first antechamber were hung with red damask of small pattern trimmed with Venetian brocatelle of white background ornamented with red and green branches and flowers of various colours. These same materials filled the space over the chimney-piece. Twelve chairs with backs of turned walnut wood were covered with tapestry on which birds figured. The couch was covered with the same material and was furnished with a pavilion of red serge. A small table was covered by a green cloth trimmed with green silk fringe. The window curtain was white cotton.

The second antechamber was hung with crimson damask, ornamented with gold braid and gold fringe. The _portières_ of the same, and lined with red taffeta, were 2½ ells long, and comprised four lengths each. The seats were six _fauteuils_, six large folding-stools and two small folding-stools. The frames were painted red picked out with gold. The two little stools were upholstered in red velvet garnished with gold and silver fringe. The other seats were covered with red damask, ornamented with gold fringe. The couch in this room was covered with crimson damask, trimmed with gold braid and fringe, and overhung by a pavilion of red serge. A pine desk was covered with a piece of red damask, trimmed with gold braid and fringe. The one window curtain consisted of four lengths of red taffeta (3 ells long), bordered with a narrow gold braid.

The chamber was hung with twenty-five lengths of gold and green damask, and twenty-four lengths of crimson damask of a large pattern (the length being 2½ ells). These hangings were trimmed all around and on the seams with gold braid. The bed was composed of three outside valances, two _bonnes grâces_, two _cantonnières_, three valances on the frame of the bed, three valances on the _courtepointe_, and four _pommes_. All the interior hangings were gold and green, and all the outside ones were of crimson damask. The _courtepointe_ was crimson damask. These draperies were ornamented with a wide gold braid and gold fringe. The _pommes_ supported four bunches of white feathers with aigrettes. The three window curtains, each 11 feet long, contained three lengths each of crimson taffeta, trimmed with gold fringe. There were other hangings in this room: two _portières_, two alcove curtains, and the interior draperies of the niche. The _portières_ were made of two lengths of gold and green damask and one of red damask, trimmed with gold braid. One was lined with red taffeta, the other with green taffeta. The two alcove curtains[13] were 3¼ ells long, each one being made of two lengths of gold and green damask, and two lengths of crimson damask. This large room contained three _fauteuils_, twelve folding-stools, four lounges, a _lit de repos_, a _chaise d’affaires_ of crimson velvet, two tables, two little marquetry desks, a screen, a writing-table, mirror and chandelier. The seats were all covered with red damask, bordered by a band of gold and green damask, and finished with a narrow gold braid and fringe. The _lit de repos_, 6 feet long by 2 feet, 4 inches wide, was covered with the same damasks as well as its four pillows. The latter were finished with gold braid, fringe, and tassels at each corner. Another _lit de repos_ stood in the niche. The tables 4 feet long by 4 feet, 4 inches wide, were of pine with walnut feet. Their covers were made of the two damasks already described (mi-party), the top being of red velvet. These cloths were nailed to the table, and trailed on the floor. They were ornamented with gold braid and fringe. The screen consisted of five leaves 3½ feet high. Three of its leaves were of gold and green damask, and two of red damask. Gold braid brightened it. The writing-table was of violet-wood, 4 feet, 8 inches long by 20 inches wide. Over it was a green velvet cover, edged with gold. The little desks of _marqueterie d’étain_ were probably Boulle’s. They were 2 feet 9½ inches long, and 1 foot 9 inches wide. Each one contained four drawers and a door in the front, behind which were three interior drawers, and stood upon eight termed pillars of marquetry the capitals and bases of which were of silvered wood. The feet were pineapples silvered. These were covered with a carpet of green taffetas, lined with serge.

The niche[14] was of oak 5 feet, 10 inches long by 2 feet, 10 inches wide and 8½ feet high. It was hung inside with four lengths of red damask and three lengths of the gold and green damask already described, the seams being covered with narrow gold braid. The outside was hung with three lengths of gold and green damask and two lengths of red damask, the seams hidden by gold braid.

The _lit de repos_ placed lengthwise in the niche was 5½ feet long and 2½ feet wide, therefore nearly filling up the niche. It was covered with a square of green taffeta, to which were attached three valances of gold and green damask ornamented with gold braid and fringe. The two pillows and bolsters were covered with the same damask, ornamented with gold braid, fringe and tassels. A coverlet, crimson satin on one side and green satin on the other, was invitingly ready for the lounger.

The _Garde-robe_ behind the bed was hung with crimson damask of a small pattern, trimmed with gold braid. The _portière_ was of the same. Here stood a _tabouret_ covered with red velvet ornamented with gold and silver fringe.

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.

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.

The cabinet contained a _lit de repos_, four _fauteuils_ and four folding-stools, all upholstered in red velvet ornamented with gold braid and gold fringe. The window curtains were of white damask, trimmed with gold fringe. In this room were also two _bureaux_ of marquetry, and a small walnut table, 27 inches long by 17 wide, standing on four turned pillars. The cover for this was green serge bordered with an aurora-coloured braid.

Having seen the apartments of the Duke of Orleans at Versailles, let us look at those of the Duchess there in the same year (1708). The antechamber was rich with a “set of tapestry hangings,”—gilt leather on a white background; and here were also represented festoons of fruits and garlands of flowers in red, green and gold. It was, moreover, enriched with figures of Bacchus, women, children, harpies and gold birds.

The entire room was hung with this (18⅓ ells being required to cover the walls, and 3½ ells were required for the space above the mantel). The furniture included an eight-leaved screen 7 feet high, two forms covered with red flowered moquette, a folding-stool with painted red frame and covered with red linen, and a couch.

The chamber was furnished with a bed, four _fauteuils_, four chairs with backs, six folding-seats, twelve _tabourets_, a bureau-table, two tables and a screen. The bed was superb. It was 6 feet wide, 6 feet, 9 inches long and 11 feet high. It was mi-party (i. e., divided half and half), of red damask and gold _moiré_, lined with white _moiré_ and trimmed on the seams and all around the base and top of both valances and curtains with gold braid and gold fringe. The three outside top valances, three lower valances, two _bonnes grâces_, two _cantonnières_ and four curtains were of the red and gold _moiré_; the headboard, four interior valances, _courtepointe_ and sheaths of the bed-posts were of silver _moiré_; the four _pommes_ of red damask and gold _moiré_ carried bunches of white feathers with aigrettes. The _fauteuils_, chairs and folding-seats were of gilded wood, covered with gold _moiré_, trimmed with a band of crimson damask, edged with gold braid and gold fringe. The frames of the _tabourets_ were painted red; the covers were red velvet, trimmed with red silk braid. There were two covers for the walnut bureau-table: one of red damask and gold _moiré_, trimmed with gold braid and fringe; the other of red leather, lined with taffeta and trimmed with a gold braid and gold fringe. The frame of the screen was gilded wood. It was covered with red damask, ornamented with narrow gold braid. The windows were draped in white damask, trimmed with gold fringe. Each curtain was 4⅓ ells long and contained six lengths of material. The cord for the chandelier was of gold and silver and red silk.

The _cabine_, or little chamber, had similar curtains at the windows. Four _fauteuils_, four chairs with backs and ten folding-stools were covered with green velvet, trimmed with gold braid and fringe, the frames being painted green, picked out with gold. There was also a small folding-stool, the frame of which was painted red, and the seat of red velvet trimmed with gold and silver fringe. In this room stood a walnut commode, a card-table and a large marquetry cabinet.

The prevalence of the fashionable hue of aurora is to be noted at Val. The Salon was hung in Venetian brocatelle, aurora-coloured background with trailing branches of blue. The space over the chimney-piece was also adorned with this rich textile, although the spaces over the four doors were covered with aurora taffeta. The nine _tabourets_ in this room were upholstered with the rich Venetian brocatelle and trimmed with a silk fringe of aurora and blue. The frames were painted blue picked out with gold. The stools had also coverings of aurora taffeta.

The King’s Chamber was furnished in aurora and white damask, containing the bed and customary seats. The _portières_ were lined with aurora taffeta and trimmed with a braid and fringe of gold and silver.

The King’s Cabinet contained a _lit de repos_, six folding-stools, and two square pillows. These were covered to match the draperies in a rich damask of aurora-coloured flowers on a blue background. The _lit de repos_ was somewhat unusual, as over it hung a kind of pavilion. The mattresses, bolsters and pillows were upholstered with the damask just described, but the pavilion was hung with a striped material of aurora, white, blue and black arranged in three little curtains looped over a large curtain which fell to the floor, but which was looped back. The drapery was trimmed with a braid and fringe of gold and silver.

The Passage was draped in a blue silk damask with white woollen flowers trimmed with a blue silk Flanders brocatelle with aurora and white flowers.

In the Guard-room, the hangings were of red Flanders brocatelle with woollen flowers of aurora and white, the borders of the hangings being green brocaded with branches of aurora and white. There were six forms in this room, covered with moquette of various colours edged with braid and fastened to the frames with gold-headed nails.

The Square room was draped in green Genoa damask, which was also used for the _portières_, lined with green taffeta, and the twelve tabourets. The frames of the latter were painted green picked out with gold.