Page:Southern Antiques - Burroughs - 1931.djvu/52

28  came South, or who copied their pieces brought there, were Randolph, Savery, and Gostelowe, of Philadelphia, all men of eminence.

The sideboards of Hepplewhite, with the serpentine front, so delighted the heart of the Southern workmen that numerous examples have been found. Sheraton sideboards, showing the round ends, the straight or concave center and turned or reeded legs, are reproduced in much simpler fashion than those designed by the master, but examples have been found of various woods and inlay and veneer that he employed.

Beautiful examples of Hepplewhite beds have been found, reflecting much practice and skill on the part of the craftsman at work. Excellent examples of Hepplewhite and Sheraton beds have been seen in South Carolina, sawed up in such a way as to be used for tables; and one pair of elaborate posts was found painted and doing duty as supports for an otherwise failing porch in Wake County, North Carolina.

The Hepplewhite chair is easily distinguished by the Hepplewhite shield, and is often used in delicate poise in American chairs, although the heart shape, which he likewise used, is often introduced. The Sheraton influence in chairs is abundant, although it is difficult to find examples of first quality, beautifully proportioned and classic in line as they were. The square leg, with arrow-motif back is shown, the square, tapered leg, showing in the South, in many types. The distinguishing mark of his chairs were the straight lines employed, where Hepplewhite delighted in curves. Whether the top rail was curved or straight, Sheraton lifted up the splat and, putting in a connecting slat between the posts, provided a square frame for ornamenting the center as he might desire. Fine textiles were employed for his chair seats, adding immeasurably to their beauty.

Chests, chests of drawers, and cupboards through the South reflect the Hepplewhite influence; cellarets, too, show the inspiration of this master. Many examples of movable corner cupboards in mahogany are found, some of them showing the familiar inlay and tracing of design in wood, as in his chairs. Tambour desks were popular under the influence of both Hepplewhite and Sheraton, and Southern workmen left much behind them that showed ingenuity of craftsmanship in working out their designs.

With Washington in the presidency, a new note of confidence was sounded, to which, in some cases, the South was slow to respond, due to its ravished condition and the distress occasioned by the inability of the people to collect on government loans made during the war. The bad situation, however, began slowly to mend with the inadequacies of the early federal government, particularly in finance, superseded by something more stable in 1790. Order began to appear out of chaos, and conditions in the South gradually improved.

In rough figures, there were now nearly two million people in the South, and many of the middle class and lesser planters needed more and more furniture, and they needed it badly; but there were other things that they needed more, with prosperity slow in smiling upon them. The