| The Queen Anne style of furniture and blanket chests | | | | and scrolls. |
| emerged in England during the reign Queen Anne | | | | Since the Queen Anne style furniture and blanket |
| (1702-1714). Furniture and blanket chests in this style | | | | chests had so little in the way of wood embellishments, |
| show absolute preference for simplicity. The beauty of | | | | this gave rise to the use of textiles for decoration. The |
| line was extremely more important to the wood | | | | huge demand for upholstered furniture spurred the |
| artisan than was heavy ornamentation. This was in | | | | production of high standard embroidery of exquisite |
| marked contrast to the fashionable furniture that had | | | | detail, in both home and factory. These furniture |
| been created since the Restoration in Europe. Styles | | | | textiles combined Indian and Chinese motifs and |
| such as the Baroque style and the Louis XIV style | | | | ingenious flora and fauna designs made from wool and |
| were too lavish in embellishment and carved design | | | | fine silk. Extra special designs employed the use of |
| elements. | | | | silver and gold threads. Blanket chests were given |
| The Queen Anne style furniture and blanket chests | | | | large cushions to create a seating area. |
| offered simpler pieces which were curvilinear in style | | | | The lack of highly decorative styling in the Queen |
| with the cabriole leg as the support for most furniture | | | | Anne furniture and blanket chests form also induced |
| types. This leg made for an elegant line, the S-curve, | | | | the use of many different foot types and cornice |
| which is the most important feature of this style. Along | | | | styles. Tallboys, toilet mirrors, desks, blanket chests and |
| with the cabriole leg, the other important elements of | | | | other heavy pieces used ball, splay, ogee, bracket and |
| this style that derived from the S-curve are the | | | | paneled bracket feet. Blanket chests of later design |
| scrolled pediment, scalloped apron, vase-shaped splats | | | | were mainly given ogee, bracket or ball feet. Chairs, |
| and the curved chair back. This elongated S-shaped | | | | tripod tables, day beds and card tables used pad, claw |
| curve was called "The Line of Beauty" by William | | | | and ball, scroll and paw feet. Bookcases and cabinets |
| Hogarth, a British engraver and satirist. | | | | went through three different cornice phases. The first |
| Many of the Queen Anne furniture pieces were made | | | | was a smooth, graceful form, the second had a roman |
| without stretchers which disrupted the flow of the | | | | influence and the third was known as the swan neck. |
| curves. This was possible since the cabriole legs were | | | | The most distinctive Queen Anne piece was the |
| cut from one piece of square timber which allowed | | | | hooped-backed chair. This new chair,also known as a |
| wood artisans to cut strong, unmovable joints. This | | | | bended-back, was a very comfortable seat. It featured |
| style was usually made with all-over veneers, mostly | | | | a solid splat-back which curved to fit the occupants |
| of Walnut, which has beautiful figuring in the wood | | | | spine and the elegant cabriole legs. Carving was used |
| grain. The only decorative features retained from | | | | sparingly. A scallop shell was sometimes added to the |
| earlier styles were the cross and feather banding | | | | seat rail and other designs were added to the knees |
| which defined the boundaries of the drawer and door | | | | of the chair legs. The chair arms differed also with the |
| panels and the restricted use of carving detail, | | | | termination being scrolling, shepherd's crook, lion's head |
| especially on blanket chests. When used, small | | | | or eagle's head designs. |
| amounts of carving decorated the knees of chair legs, | | | | With the curvilinear S-curve as the base in the many |
| the cornices for bookcases and cabinets, the sides of | | | | design elements, this style reached great sophistication |
| card tables and the backing of chairs and day | | | | in America. The Queen Anne style furniture and |
| beds.These decorative features included forms of | | | | blanket chests crafted, then and now, are unique and |
| scallop shells, lion's masks, cartouches, husk ornaments | | | | dynamic in design. |