USA > New York > New York City > Dutch New York (early history of the Dutch in New York) > Part 8
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The most striking objects in the Dutch room are the chimney-piece, the bed, and the kast. If the bed was a separate piece of furniture, it was domed or tent- shaped or box-shaped, and tastefully draped or inclosed with curtains of simple or rich materials. Some- times, however, the bed formed part of the woodwork of the room and was closed in with folding doors or sliding panels (see page 44). The movable bed often
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had its feet and posts artistically carved or turned. Many of these were imported, but some were made here. Thus, in 1656, Jan Picolet sued Jan Schagger for payment for a field-bed. Schagger admitted hav- ing ordered it, but said that Picolet made it larger than desired, and consequently demanded more money. The court ordered that if they could not come to an agreement it should be valued.
In the wills we constantly find beds being be- queathed to relatives and friends. Thomas Halsey, of Southampton, 1677, leaves among other things to his son Thomas " the bedsted and curtains in the porch chamber." Eliza Burroughs, of Newtown, Long Island, gives to her son, John, " one feather bed which I now ly on, with all the furniture thereto belonging."
Beds of the latest style were often imported. We learn, in 1653, that Lucas Elderson sues for " forty florins for bedsteads received by Captain G. Tysen." Very handsome beds were owned by Colonel Lewis Morris in 1691. One in the " Great Room " was val- ued at £25, one in the " Dining-Room " at £18, one in the " Lodging-Room " at £15, four others at £36, and five " without furniture," £20.
Typical beds of the period are seen in Jan Steen's Parrot Cage and St. Nicholas Eve (see facing pages 202 and 300), and a cradle faces page 254.
The most elaborate piece of furniture in the Dutch house was the great cupboard, or kas, or kast. It was a feature of the "show " room and a necessity in the living-rooms. Wealthy persons had a number of cup- boards; and it is hard to draw a distinction in the inventories between the innumerable cubberts, cup- boards, clothes-presses, etc. The Dutch word kast (cupboard or cabinet) included a number of pieces of furniture; for the word kasten makker means cabinet-
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maker or joiner. Kast, of course, is the old word for case, box.
In the great kasten the most valuable silver was kept, - the spoons, forks, platters, dishes, mugs, beakers, silver-mounted horns, bridal and christening gifts, and handsome pieces of glass. On the broad flat top were displayed the choice porcelains or the products of the Delft factories.
The great cupboard was made in a variety of styles : it was heavy, massive, and four-square, and equipped with drawers and doors, and sometimes shelves. It was carved, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, ivory, or porcelain; ornamented with pearwood stained to rep- resent ebony or innumerable knobs and spindles of ivory. It was made of oak, plum, cherry, or nut- wood, and stood on great round balls for feet. These were sometimes called "knots," and were often re- peated on the four corners of the top. Van Nespen termed them "guardians of the porcelain ornaments which decorated the top."
The kast was always a prized heirloom; and we often find it left to a favorite child or grandchild. In 1678, Judith Stuyvesant, widow of the Director- General, left to her son, Nicholas William Stuyvesant, "my great and best casse or cobbert empty, exclusive of what might be found therein." He also received all his mother's china except " the three great potts." Mrs. Stuyvesant left to her cousin Nicholas Bayard " my black cabbinett of ebben wood with ye foot or frame belonging to it, together with the three greate China pots before reserved." Mrs. Van Varick's "great Dutch kas " was so large that it could not be removed from Flatbush and was sold for £25. The name was well known in England. Many an inventory of the Seventeenth Century lists a kos. It lasted all through
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the Queen Anne period. In 1714, Jan Hendrickse Prevoost left to his daughter, Janettie, wife of Thomas Sickelsen of the outward of New York, " my new cup- board commonly called a kass."
We find the great cupboard in evidence in many homes in New Amsterdam. Andries Bresteed as late as 1723 had six large presses or cupboards of the fa- miliar type with the great round ball feet: an oaken chest without a lock; an oaken chest with two balls under without a lock; a chest of cedar with two balls and brass handles; a chest-of-drawers; one Dutch press; and a small painted cupboard. Humphry Hall had "a chest-of-drawers with balls at the feet " in 1696, valued at £1 16s. od .; and another that had lost one of these feet, worth £I Ios. od.
In Holland, during the Seventeenth Century, the cup- board made of " nutwood " was particularly cherished. When a certain pastor was asked what he would take for his translation of Cicero's Epistola ad familiares, he replied : “ Sir, not being in a position to charge any- thing for my labour, I will listen to the advice of the wife that the Lord has given me for a helpmate. She wishes to possess a nutwood cabinet with a set of por- celain to go with it, and ornaments for the top, if the consistory will grant."
We find the " nutwood " cupboard or cabinet highly appreciated in New Amsterdam. Cornelis Steenwyck had " a nutwood cupboard " that was valued at £20. " Nutwood " was usually hickory, which was so valued by the first colonists, and exported to Holland; but sometimes it was walnut.
The cabinet, as a rule, was intended for the exhi- bition and guardianship of treasured articles. Pro- vided with a glass door, the collection of porcelains, ivories, curios, and silver toys could be seen to great
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advantage. Sometimes it was of the plainest and cheapest wood painted green, red, or yellow, and some- times handsomely inlaid or carved. Examples of Dutch cupboards and cabinets face pages 90 and 98.
Next in value was the small casket or coffer, - the tiny trunk, made of ebony, ivory, "silver wrought," sandalwood, painted, gilded, " waxed," or lacquered, and mounted with beautifully chiselled brass, silver, or gold locks, handles, and feet.
The plain chest, or coffer, was made of lignum- vitæ, sacredaan (Java mahogany), cherry, plum, oak, walnut, or pine. It was also covered with leather, in which case it was really nothing more nor less than a trunk. It was frequently lined with linen or cloth, and sometimes was furnished with handsome metal mounts and stood on ball or square feet. Chests and trunks occur, naturally enough, in the old inventories; and many of these were undoubtedly sea-chests.
The long oak " drawing-table." was a species of ex- tension table, the leaves of which fell in the center when the two ends were pulled apart. This had heavy black bulbs, or massive and heavily carved acorn- shaped ornaments on the legs. The form popularly known to-day as "the thousand-legged " with its twisted legs connected by twisted stretchers and drop leaves, was also coming into favor, and was made of the Java mahogany, walnut, oak, and pine painted to suit the owner's taste (see facing page 82). It may be noted that the drop-leaf, or " hang ear," table became common about the middle of the Seventeenth Century.
Tables were oval, round, and square, and were covered, as a rule, with a Turkey rug, known as the " table carpet." These rich and handsome rugs are frequently represented as table coverings in the pictures of the Little Masters. The chairs of the period were
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the high and low leather, the first with high backs and the second with low square backs.
The legs of the chairs were connected by stretchers and the seats were rounded or square. The X-shaped chair was also in use during this period. In old inventories we read of Russia leather and Prussia leather chairs, table chairs, ebony carved chairs, chairs of sacredaan, and chairs covered with Turkey-work red or green cloth. There were also the simple three, and four, and five-backed chairs with rush, or mat seats. These were painted in any color that the owner wished. A loose feather or down-filled pillow or cushion was always placed on the seat; so high was it, in fact, that a child standing on tiptoe could not see over it. A type of chair that was coming into fashion is seen in the hall of the Van Cortlandt house, facing page 62; and ordinary low-backed chairs and a form appear in the old print facing page 120.
The great number of window-curtains, valances, and cushions of bright colors and rich materials must have given an air of warmth and luxury to the homes. Dr. De Lange's hangings and cushions are noticeable; and still more so are Mrs. Van Varick's. She has six satin cushions with gold flowers (£4 Ios. od.), one suit serge curtains and valance with silk fringe (£6), six scarlet serge ditto (£4 Ios. od.), two chimney cloths of flowered crimson gauze and six window curtains of the same (£6 Ios. od.), one green serge chimney cloth with fringe (£2 14s. od.), one painted chimney- cloth, one calico carpet, one chintz carpet (fine), one calico curtain.
Mirrors were framed with crystal borders beautifully cut or inlaid with variously colored glass. Lustres for candles not unfrequently branched from either side of the frame. Occasionally, too, the mirror was placed in
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the large space over the chimney-piece. The looking- glass was universal in New Amsterdam; and, as a rule, several were found in the house, with " black lists " or "gilded lists." Abraham De Lanoy must have had a very handsome one, for in 1702 his “ great- looking-glass " is worth £5.
The ordinary Dutch house in New Amsterdam con- tained a Cellar and sometimes a Cellar Kitchen. The ground floor consisted of a Shop, a "Fore Room" (Voorhuis), a Back Room, a Kitchen, and sometimes an Office. Sometimes also there was an extra Kitchen, and other offices in the yard as well. The floor above was occupied by chambers, a combination of sitting- rooms and bedrooms. The larger houses also had cock lofts and garrets above these in which various stores were kept.
The Voorhuis in New Amsterdam corresponded with the hall in New England and the Southern States. Till comparatively late in the Seventeenth Century, the hall of even the wealthy settlers con- tained a bed as well as dining-room and sitting-room furniture, and in the Dutch house this general sitting- room also contained a bed, as is to be seen in the innumerable pictures of that day. In the houses of the richer merchants there were more than one sitting- room or parlor, in which case the bed naturally was banished from the apartment in which visitors were received.
The rooms on the ground floor of a prosperous mer- chant of New Amsterdam consisted of a Voorhuis, a Shop, or a Counting-House (Comptoir), sometimes both, a small Back Room behind the Voorhuis, a big Kitchen behind the Shop, and a smaller Kitchen ad- joining in the yard.
The Fore Room was always comfortably and fre-
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quently sumptuously furnished. Let us take a few examples. The inventory of Dr. Jacob De Lange, 1685, shows that the doctor's Fore Room was quite an elaborate apartment. Here we find two of those great wardrobes known variously as the press, the kas, the armoire, and the cupboard. One is a hat-press, and the other a clothes-press. There is also a large black walnut chest that stands on large black balls. A large looking-glass with black frame hangs on the wall, with nine pictures, and the family coat-of-arms all in black frames. A square table, a round table, a small table, and an oak " drawing table " - the first form of the extension table - and a small square cabinet, twelve chairs with seats of red plush and six with seats of green plush, and a cupboard with a glass, make a dignified and comfortable room. An additional touch of luxury is contributed by a "waxed " (lacquered) East India small trunk, a "silver thread wrought small trunk," and an "ivory small trunk tipped with silver," which are, of course, small coffers for the pres- ervation of jewels and other small articles of value. Red striped silk curtains and green striped silk cur- tains drape the windows and match the seats of the chairs.
Cornelis Steenwyck's Voorhuis, or Fore Room, was furnished with seven Russia leather chairs and one mat chair, a marble table in a wooden frame, a wooden table with " carpet," or cloth, a " foot banke," eleven pictures, a clock, and a " children's ship." The latter in all probability hung from the beams.
It will be noticed that neither Dr. De Lange nor Mr. Steenwyck had a bed in the Fore Room; but Mr. Cornelis Van Dyck, of Albany, 1676, had in his Fore Room a painted chest of drawers (worth 26 beavers),
DUTCH CHINA CABINET WITH PORCELAIN OWNED BY MR. FRANS MIDDELKOOP, NEW YORK
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a bed and suit of green say hangings (72 beavers), a looking-glass (8 beavers), an oak bedstead, a wooden table, a desk, a "painted eight-cornered table," two chests and a "blue cotton chest," ten matted chairs, " four racks that the pewter stands on and earthen- ware," an "old Spanish leather stool," and much pewter, silver, and earthenware.
Another room is even more characteristically Dutch. It contained a bedstead of " south walnut, with a dark say hangings and silk fringe" (42 beavers), "a feather bed with a checkered-work covering about it, and a dark rug and white blanket " (69 beavers), a " painted chest-of-drawers " (48 beavers), a " chest-of-drawers of southwalnut with a press for napkins atop of it " (22 beavers), an oak chest-of-drawers (12 beavers), an " oak table with a carpet " (6 beavers), a capstock of South walnut " (to hang clothes upon) and "eight Spanish stools " (26 beavers), an old case without bottles, a "red table that folds up" (9 beavers), a " southwalnut chest " (18 beavers), " a serge suit bed hangings " (16 beavers), " a flannel sheet, a small bed and a hanging about a chimney " ( 16 beavers), table- cloths, napkins, etc. (16 beavers), and brass, pewter, earthenware, and glass (32 beavers). Mr. Van Dyke's possessions were valued at 1428 beavers. The last item reads : " Before the door a wooden slee."
Dr. De Lange's house shows that a man of wealth was able to indulge his tastes not only for fine furni- ture, but for silver, pictures, porcelain, etc. Besides the Fore Room, his principal apartments were a Side Chamber, Shop, Chamber, Kitchen, and Cellar. The Shop was stocked with a varied assortment of porce- lain and East India goods.
The Side Chamber was almost a picture and porce- lain gallery. Eleven paintings of great value hung on
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the walls, and a handsome "East India Cupboard " was filled with fine porcelain and earthenware. On the chimney-piece covered with a blue valance stood a number of basins, flagons, pots, bowls, a small china dog, a duck, two swans and six white figures of men. The windows were hung with blue curtains, and a hand- some looking-glass in a gold frame also brightened the room with its reflections. In this room Dr. De Lange kept his library of ninety books and from the presence of his " chest with medicines," a " chest containing dry herbs and salves," sundry instruments and a white alabaster mortar, we may assume this was the barber- surgeon's office.
Dr. De Lange's Chamber was evidently a very large room and very luxuriously furnished. "Sixteen cur- tains of linen before the glass windows " show that there were eight windows. The Chamber, therefore, in all probability occupied the greater part of the sec- ond floor. It would also seem, from the enumeration of the other curtains, that the outer curtains were in pairs and made of different materials, for we read of two striped calico curtains, "two small calico valions before the glass windows," two calico curtains with silk fringe, and two green silk curtains; and there was a ninth of calico with red lining and woolen fringe. The room also contained a very handsome bedstead with white calico hangings and a number of pillows and cushions, etc., and several spreads and counterpanes ; for example, one calico spread laid with calico, one calico spread laid with red crape, one ditto without lining, one flowered calico upper spread laid with red calico, one spread with white and calico squares and eight East India filled spreads. There were no less than fourteen cushions in the Chamber, three gray striped chair cushions, two great blue striped and three "for the
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loynes," etc. Four pieces of tapestry for chests show that the chests were draped attractively. A flowered tablecloth covers the table.
The number of valances and chimney-cloths would indicate that the room was draped differently on oc- casions. There is " one white valion before a chimney, one redd chimney-cloth, two ozenbrig chimney valance, one blue calico mixed checkard valance, one redd ditto, one ditto white with red pointed lace, one ditto red flowered calico valance, one ditto flowered with red lining one blue say fringed valance and two valance carpet work."
The most important article of furniture in this room was a large wardrobe or kast, described in the inven- tory as "one great cloth case covered with French nut wood and two black knots under it " (£13). This was probably of French walnut, carved in the Renaissance style, and as there were "six cloths to put upon the boards in the case," we may conclude that there were six shelves within the case; a seventh " cloth with lace " would seem to indicate that a cover ornamented the top. This fine kast was used as the receptacle for caps, aprons, handkerchiefs, and neckcloths.
Cornelis Steenwyck's house consisted of a Fore Room, Withdrawing Room, Great Chamber, Kitchen Chamber, Chamber above the Kitchen, After Loft, Cellar Kitchen, Garret, and Cellar.
As the Fore Room has already been described, we will pass to the Withdrawing Room. This contained a cabinet worth £4, a chest, a trunk, a close stool, two chairs, a " capstick," a cushion, a shop ladder, eight pictures, "five earthen china dishes," and dry- goods.
The Great Chamber contained an enormous case, or cupboard (Kasten) of French nutwood, valued at £20;
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twelve Russia leather chairs and "two velvet chairs with fine silver lace "; a cabinet worth £6; a " great looking-glass," £6; a very handsome square table, since it was worth fio; a round table (£2) ; a bedstead and furniture (£25); a dressing-box; a carpet (£2) ; a flowered tabby chimney cloth ; a pair of flowered tabby curtains for the glass windows; five alabaster images; fourteen pictures ; a " harthe iron with brass handles "; two earthen flowered pots; a " piece of tapestry to make twelve cushions "; sixty-four yards of " striped linen to cover the beds "; " nineteen china, or porcelain, dishes "; seven hundred and twenty-three ounces of silver plate (£216 18s. od. ) and seven ditto (£2 2s. od.) ; and much jewelry, money, and household linen.
In the Kitchen Chamber he had a case for clothes, a lantern with glass, a looking-glass, five Russia leather chairs, "four old stripe chairs," three " old matt- chairs," three " wooden racks for dishes," one " cann- board with hooks of brass," two small children's trunks, a bed, bedstead, and furniture (worth £25), iron rod and two curtains, a pair of andirons and hearth iron, an oval table, two linen cloths, two woolen cloths, a chimney cloth, two " cussions," a tobacco pot, and much valuable earthenware.
In the Chamber above the Kitchen we find a cup- board, or case-of-drawers (£9) ; one small children's case; a bed, bedstead, bolster, six blankets, and a silk quilt (£12 Ios. od.) ; ten "chyers" (£2 5s. od.) ; six "chyer " cushions (£I Ios. od.) ; a carpet, green flowered (£1 5s. od.); a small piece of tapestry; a chimney-cloth; a wooden table; six pictures; three fine wicker baskets; seven earthen dishes, and a great deal of household linen.
In the After Loft were kept glasses, earthenware, and pewter ; a piece of " carpett or tapyt, old," which
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must have been good, for the value (£I 5s. od.) is extraordinary for a banished article; twenty-four pounds of Spanish soap, and forty-six scrubbing and rubbing brushes. Here were also two tin water- spouts and " an old basket with tin ware to bake sugar cakes."
The Cellar Kitchen contained a great deal of pewter, brass, iron, and tin ware; a mustard querne, a paper- mill, wooden utensils, a wooden press, a table, ten chairs, and two cushions. In the Garret, brass, iron, powder, locks, leather, paint and such articles, and fourteen French nutboards, valued at £3 3s. od., were stored. The Cellar was well stocked with wines and liquors.
There was also an upper chamber for merchandise, where were dry-goods, pewter, iron, etc., guns, saddles, and books, a tick-tack board, two tables, two benches, and two painted screens (the latter worth £3).
Mr. Peter Jacobs Marius, who died in 1702, was very wealthy. His house consisted of a Shop and Fore- room; a " Writing Closet," or office; a "Lower Back Room," a " Great Kitchen," an Upper Chamber above the Great Kitchen, a "Little Chamber on ye left," a Loft and "Cock Loft." There was also a " Kitchen in the Yard," a small Store House in the Yard, a Great Store House, and a Cellar.
In the Lower Back Room there were " Three blew curtains for the windows " which tell us that there were three windows; " one screen covered with ozenbrigg," two feather beds, one bolster, six pillows, two blankets, two "blew curtains and valance," one white, one "blew," and " four speckled valance for the chimney," "two pare of Rollows," six glass bottles, " one large Dutch Bible tipt with brass," one "small Dutch Byble tipt with silver and a chain," five earthen cups on the cup-
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board, one black framed looking-glass, sixteen small pictures, one black walnut table and carpet, six Turkey leather chairs, one " blew " elbow chair, one matted ditto, thirteen old matted chairs, one red cedar chest, one old-fashioned clock, one dressing-basket, one brass warming-pan, eight "stoole " cushions, old and new, nineteen earthen dishes great and small “ on ye mantle tree," two earthen painted bottles, one small hair trunk, four cases with square bottles, and a money scale and weight. In this room the household linen was kept, also the silver.
"In the Upper Chamber above the Great Kitchen " we find eight black walnut chairs covered with blue, a black walnut table and carpet, a large cedar chest, a red cedar cupboard, an old-fashioned linen press, a bed- stead with iron rods, six blue curtains, valances, tester, and head cloth, feather bed, bolster, and pillow, "a callico valance for the chimney, a blew chest cloth, a green and flowered table cloth," two green curtains, two ditto valances, a " white calico hammake "; eight pictures, two blew curtains, two ditto valances.
In the "Little Chamber on ye Left " are one small bedstead with iron rod and two blue curtains and val- ance, one green rug, one white blanket, one white and two calico curtains for the windows.
In the Loft are stored a small oak cupboard and calico cloth, a small red cedar chest, without hinge and lock, a Dutch hamper, a bedstead with sacking-bottom, two large and two small pillows, a blanket, two rugs, and a woolen cover for a rug, a close stool and basin. In the Cock Loft are an iron fender and five iron cur- tain rods.
The Kitchen contains a goodly number of fine uten- sils, among which we may note five brass kettles (443/4 pounds), three copper kettles (311/2 pounds), three
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brass new pans and covers (31 pounds), two tart pans, two brass scales, one small metal pot and cover, five iron pots with covers (54 pounds), two iron chains, two spits, a brass mortar and pestle, a rolling-pin, two ladles, a kneading-trough, a tin apple roaster, a tin grater, twenty-four pewter dishes, two porringers, two chafing-dishes, a copper pail, a skillet, a saucepan, two brass skimmers, three brass frying-pans, two " old tin pye pans," a cullender, an iron dripping-pan, a flesh fork and ladle, and " one gridding iron," a brass bowl and ladle, and 15211/4 pounds of pewter.
In going over the inventories of the citizens of New Amsterdam of the Seventeenth Century, the student would not need to look at the heading to determine which was English and which Dutch. The early Jacobean and even Elizabethan flavor persists in the furnishings of the Englishman's chief living-room, whether the appraiser calls it "Fore Room," Voor- huis, or " Hall." Just as the bed was a familiar ob- ject in the living-room of the Dutch well-to-do classes all through the century, so was it also in that of the English merchant. Thus, in 1692, we find a bed in the hall of Thomas Crundall, a rich merchant, whose hall must have been a large one to have accommodated a large " cupboard," a large oval table, a small square table, a black walnut chest-of-drawers, a black walnut glass case, a bed with all appurtenances, a chamber screen, a small black walnut box, seven leather chairs, six Turkey work chairs, two calico window curtains, a fringed calico chimney cloth, two large landscapes, three small landscapes, two andirons, two earthen bowls, two earthen dishes, a large silver tankard, a silver cup, two large spoons, a small spoon, four glasses, and a great deal of household linen.
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