The popularity of

DESPITE ITS humble beginnings, pine furniture now is in
great demand. Its former fabilities — a plain demeanor
and utilitarian styling — have become its major assets.

Pine'’s popularity is not limited
to the American variety. France,
England and other European
countries have their own versicns
and these pieces are sought after,
too.

In France, provincial furniture
makers turned to pine when oak
became scarce in the late 1700s.
French pine, with its curves, carv-
ings and ornamentation, closely
mimics the established styles of
the period.

Some pieces were painted a faux
bois (false wood) to resemble oak.
Others were gussied up with white
paint and gold detailing; — still
others were given a natural finish.

French pine furnishings are the
most elegant. Grandfather clocks
from France, for example, usually
had carvings, curved cabinets, and
elaborate crowns, compared with
the beautiful boxy English and
American clocks ef the early
1800s.

Often, the clock itself was made
by a traveling journeyman, and
the cabinet was constructed by a
local cabinetmaker.

The combination was sometimes
esthetically upsetting but all the
more special.

English country pine of the 18th
and 19th centuries is stzaightfor-
ward but far more primitive in ei-

re

Come

ther design or construction. It is
handsome but uncomplicated.

By the time furniture styles
sifted down from the royal courts,
through the aristocracy and land-
ed gentry to country craftspeople,
most of the refinements had
disappeared. The designs that re-
mained had appealing clean lines,
smooth surfaces, and simple
details.

Irish pine, more than English,
often featured cutout details.

Antique American pine fur-
niture has a look of its own.
Unlike French and English coun-
try furnishings versions of grander
styles, American pine pieces are
more rustic and, for the most
part, devoid of pretense and deco-
ration.

Soine early pieces were painted
or stained, however.

Although natural finishes have
enjoyed populazity in the past,
pine pieces with original paint
have more recently taken the
limelight. These pieces tend to be
tare and expensive.

All kinds of country pine fur-
nishings can be found today, al-
though some are more difficult to
come by than others.

Cupboards and other storage
pieces comprise the largest catego-
ry of old pine furniture. Most ear-

e
fy homes were short on storage
space and cupboards took the
place of closets. Some early cup-
boards have glass-paneled doors,
but most doors were solid or
paneled.

Pine chests were extremely
popular for the storage of linens,
woolens and quilts. These carly
pine pieces are just as functional
today as they were when they were
first made.

Other storage pieces include pic
safes and dry sinks. Even the
smallest country kitchen likely had
a pie safe for cooking and storing
fresh-baked focds.

The safe’s pierced tin (often
elaborately designed) allowed for
air circulation yet deterred the in-
trusion of insects and small
animals. Small pie safes were
suspended from rafters and were
pulled up and down by a rope.

Dry sinks, low cupboards usual-
ly topped by zinc-lined walls, held
buckets and basins of water for
household chores. Cabinet-makers
typically chose pine for these sinks
because it was an abundant wood
source that was especially easy to
craft.

Behind the cupboard door,
there was storage for, often, a pail
to catch drainage from a hole in
the wail. The forerunner of the
dry sink was the bucket bench —
an open set of shelves used to
store kitchen items.

Friday, July 19. 1991 ~ North Shore News - 25

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