Sideboards

Sheraton is properly credited with perfecting the sideboard. The typical Sheraton sideboard (Key XIV, 3; Plates XXXI and XXXV, p. 236, p. 254), which one may always be safe in ascribing to Sheraton provenance, has either slender, turned and reeded legs supporting a superstructure in which there are deep drawers or cupboards at either end and a shallow drawer or cupboard in the middle of the shaped (Key XIV, 1) or straight front, or else the ends are square, projecting somewhat from the straight middle portion, and are carried down almost to the floor as cupboards (Key XIV, 3). These square ends are oftentimes built up above the top of the middle, portion to serve as bases for the support of knife boxes or knife urns.

Sheraton also designed other sideboards of a pattern which we habitually associate with the name of Hepplewhite (Key XIV, 1, and Plate XXXI, p. 236). These sideboards had shaped fronts (Key XIV, 1; and Plate XXXI, p. 236) and square tapered legs (Key XIV, I), or round, tapered, reeded legs (Plate XXXI, p. 236), the ends containing drawers and the middle portion one shallow drawer, the part under the drawer being left hollowed out for the accommodation of a collarette or wine cooler (Key XIV, 3; Plate XXXI, p. 236). Sideboards of this type can be ascribed to a designer only approximately. It is known, however, that Sheraton did not favour the serpentine front for such work, with its concave depressions from projecting ends, but preferred sideboards with square ends and sprung fronts or with the whole front convex in form (Plate XXXI, p. 236). Knife boxes had either slant tops or were made in the shape of urns. The square-ended sideboards with the extremities surmounted for the knife urns took the place of the earlier sideboard tables which were flanked at either end by pedestals supporting knife urns.

On many of the Sheraton sideboards of the type shown in the lower cut of Plate XXXI, p. 236, there was the additional feature of a metal gallery or rail at the back to which, sometimes, candelabra were affixed.

PAINTED CANED SEAT SHERATON ARM CHAIR, VASE BALUSTER ARM SUPPORTS.

By Courtesy of Miss Sarah Dobson Fiske, Philadelphia.

MAHOGANY INLAID SHERATON SIDEBOARD OF AMERICAN TYPE, SPRUNG FRONT, REEDED PILLARS AND LOW GALLERY By Courtesy of Mrs. John H. Brinton, Philadelphia.

PLATE XXXV.

Wardrobes And Clothes Presses

Sheraton designed wardrobes with doors opening the full height from top to bottom (Key XIV, 5), similar to those which we now have. Some were in three sections, the middle section having two doors and projecting forward, and the receding side sections having one door. Clothes presses, similar in general character to the wardrobes, had drawers in the lower part and hanging cupboards in the upper (Fig. 8, B). Tops were either straight or pediment surmounted. The majority of wardrobes and clothes presses had only the two doors and were made in one section instead of three (Fig. 8, B).