The Development of Decoration in France.

When Caesar came to Gaul he did more than see and conquer; he absorbed so thoroughly that we have almost no knowledge of how the Gauls lived, so far as household effects were concerned.  The character which descended from this Gallo-Roman race to the later French nation was optimistic and beauty-loving, with a strength which has carried it through many dark days.  It might be said to be responsible for the French sense of proportion and their freedom of judgment which has enabled them to hold their important place in the history of art and decoration.  They have always assimilated ideas freely but have worked them over until they bore the stamp of their own individuality, often gaining greatly in the process.

One of the first authentic pieces of furniture is a bahut or chest dating from sometime in the twelfth century and belonging to the Church of Obazine.  It shows how furniture followed the lines of architecture, and also shows that there was no carving used on it.  Large spaces were probably covered with painted canvas, glued on.  Later, when panels became smaller and the furniture designs were modified, moldings, etc., began to be used.  These bahuts or huches, from which the term huchiers came (meaning the Corporation of Carpenters), were nothing more than chests standing on four feet.  From all sources of information on the subject it has been decided that they were probably the chief pieces of furniture the people had.  They served as a seat by day and, with cushions spread upon them, as a bed by night.  They were also used as tables with large pieces of silver dresse or arranged upon them in the daytime.  From this comes our word “dresser” for the kitchen shelves.  In those days of brigands and wars and sudden death, the household belongings were as few as possible so that the trouble of speedy transportation would be small, and everything was packed into the chests.  As the idea of comfort grew a little stronger, the number of chests grew, and when a traveling party arrived at a stopping-place, out came the tapestries and hangings and cushions and silver dishes, which were arranged to make the rooms seem as cheerful as possible.  The germ of the home ideal was there, at least, but it was hard work for the arras and the “ciel” to keep out the cold and cover the bare walls.  When life became a little more secure and people learned something of the beauty of proportion, the rooms showed more harmony in regard to the relation of open spaces and walls, and became a decoration in themselves, with the tapestries and hangings enhancing their beauty of line.  It was not until some time in the fifteenth century that the habit of traveling with all one’s belongings ceased.