een in humble English
homes of that date. Stools and forms were the common seats. Turned,
wainscot, and covered chairs are the three distinct types mentioned in
the seventeenth century. Turned chairs are shown in good examples in
what are known as the Carver and Brewster chairs, now preserved in
Pilgrim Hall in Plymouth. The president's chair at Harvard College is
another ancient turned chair.

The seats of many of these chairs were of flags and rushes. The bark of
the elm and bass trees was also used for bottoming chairs.

The wainscot chairs were all of wood, seats as well as backs, usually of
oak. They were frequently carved or panelled. One now in Pilgrim Hall is
known as the Winslow chair. Another fine specimen in carved oak is in
the Essex Institute in Salem. Carved chairs were owned only by persons
of wealth or high standing, and were frequently covered with "redd
lether" or "Rusha lether." Sometimes the leather was stamped and
different rich fabrics were employed to cover the seats. "Turkey
wrought" chairs are frequently mentioned. Velvet "Irish stitch," red
cloth, and needlework covers are named. Green appeared to be, however,
the favorite color.

Cane chairs appeared in the last quarter of the century. It is said that
the use of cane was introduced into furniture with the marriage of
Charles II. to Catharine of Braganza.

The bow-legged chair, often with claw and ball foot, came into use in
the beginning of the eighteenth century. "Crowfoot" and "eaglesfoot"
were named in inventories. These are copies of Dutch shapes.

Easy-chairs also appeared at that date, usually as part of the bedroom
furniture, and were covered with the stuffs of which the bed-hangings
and window-curtains were made, such as "China," "callico," "camblet,"
"harrateen."

The three-cornered chair, now known as an "As you like it" chair,
appeared in the middle of the century under the names of triangle,
round-about, and half-round chair.

The chairs known now as Chippendale may date back to the middle of the
century; Windsor chairs, also known and manufactured in Philadelphia at
that date, were not common in New England till a score of years later,
when they were made and sold in vast numbers, being much more
comfortable than the old bannister or slat-backed chairs then in common
use.

Another piece of hall furniture deserves special mention. Dr. Lyon gives
these names of cupboards found in New England: Cupboard, small cupboard,
gre