blueinkedfrost

This is vol II of a series, but Vol I was not available on Project Gutenberg at the time I checked.

Grinling Gibbons, his excellent name, and his master woodcarving; the origins and usage of cabrioles; Queen Mary's collection and the taste for Chinese porcelain; the art of secret drawers; and some lovely black-and-white pictures of Queen Anne furniture. This is a fascinating, succinct must-read if any of the above appeals to you.

Sample illustrations:









A Grinling Gibbons wooden cravat, taken from this blog:



Visitors to England supposedly believed it to be real English country fashion when worn by Horace Walpole.



Another Grinling Gibbons, taken from here. Beautiful craftswork.