, or illustrations of mythological fables on darker
coloured wood, formed an effective relief to the yellow satin wood.
Sometimes the cabinet, writing table, or spindle-legged occasional piece,
was made entirely of this wood, having no other decoration beyond the
beautiful marking of carefully chosen veneers; sometimes it was banded
with tulipwood or harewood (a name given to sycamore artificially
stained), and at other times painted as just described. A very beautiful
example of this last named treatment is the dressing table in the South
Kensington Museum, which we give as an illustration, and which the
authorities should not, in the writer's opinion, have labelled
"Chippendale."

Besides Chambers, there were several other architects who designed
furniture about this time who have been almost forgotten. Abraham Swan,
some of whose designs for wooden chimney pieces in the quasi-classic style
are given, flourished about 1758. John Carter, who published "Specimens of
Ancient Sculpture and Painting"; Nicholas Revitt and James Stewart, who
jointly published "Antiquities of Athens" in 1762; J.C. Kraft, who
designed in the Adams' style; W. Thomas, M.S.A., and others, have left us
many drawings of interior decorations, chiefly chimney pieces and the
ornamental architraves of doors, all of them in low relief and of a
classical character, as was the fashion towards the end of the eighteenth
century.

Josiah Wedgwood, too, turned his attention to the production of plaques in
relief, for adaptation to chimney pieces of this character. In a letter
written from London to Mr. Bentley, his partner, at the works, he deplores
the lack of encouragement in this direction which he received from the
architects of his day; he, however, persevered, and by the aid of
Flaxman's inimitable artistic skill as a modeller, made several plaques of
his beautiful Jasper ware, which were let in to the friezes of chimney
pieces, and also into other wood-work. There can be seen in the South
Kensington Museum a pair of pedestals of this period (1770-1790) so
ornamented.

It is now necessary to consider the work of a group of English cabinet
makers, who not only produced a great deal of excellent furniture, but who
also published a large number of designs drawn with extreme care and a
considerable degree of artistic skill.

The first of these and the best known was Thomas Chippendale, who appears
to have succeeded his father, a chair maker, and to have