A chair with the characteristic scrolled stretcher just alluded to occurs on Plate XXXIII. It is richly carved, and has turned and carved straight legs, with bulbed feet. The back is a richly carved frame, filled with cane. The top is crowned with delicate ribbon and foliage carving, and the shape of the back is a favourite one for the mirrors of the period. The proportions of the seat, which is stuffed and covered with velvet fastened with small brass nails is quite modern. This chair, however, belongs to the end of the seventeenth century. The affinities between the chairs we have been describing and the designs by Marot, which were so popular in Holland, may be studied in the next chapter. [Illustration: PLATE XXXIII.—_Chairs._ RIJKS MUSEUM, AMSTERDAM. ] The masters of this school of ornamentation were numerous. Hitherto Flanders has overshadowed the Northern Provinces of the Netherlands in art products; but beginning with De Vries, Holland assumes equal importance. Peter Soutman (Haarlem 1580–1650), was a pupil of Rubens; William Buytenweg worked at Rotterdam; Adrian Muntink was famous in Groningen (_circ._ 1610); other goldsmiths and engravers, named Laurens, Janss Micker, Geraert van Ryssen, Meinert Gelis, Jacobus van der Tverff, Gerritz Hessel (Amsterdam), Abraham Hecker (Amsterdam), Hendrik de Keyser (Amsterdam), Jacobus Collan (Rotterdam), and Arnold Houbraken (Dordrecht), all flourished during the first half of the seventeenth century. Their motives of garlands, fruits, flowers, human and animal figures, birds, insects, etc., were used in the decoration of sumptuous, carved furniture, and for marquetry and mosaics, as well as for the gold and silver ware of which the nobles and rich merchants were so fond. Other masters of ornament of the Netherlands of this period, whose works have survived, are Martin van Buten (_circ._ 1607), Franz Aspruck (_circ._ 1601), Jacques de Gheyn (_circ._ 1610), J. B. Barbé (_b._ 1585), Blondus (1590–1656), Raphael Custode, Michel van Lochon, Henderick Lodeweycke (_circ._ 1626), André Pauli (_circ._ 1628). Following the above, when the _style Rubens_ was giving way to the Decadence, we find Michel Natalis (1609–80), Arthus Quellin (_b._ 1609), Jacob van Campen (_circ._ 1660), Peter van den Avont (_b._ 1619), James Collan (_circ._ 1650), Arnold Houbraken (_d._ 1660), L. Hendericks (_circ._ 1660), Romanus de Hooghe (1638–1718), Gaspard Bouttats, (1640–1703), J. J. Falkema (_circ._ 1680), Isaac Moucheron (1660–1744), Antony de Winter (_circ._ 1690), Peter Paul Bouche (_circ._ 1693), J. Thuys (_circ._ 1690), J. and F. Harrewyn (_circ._ 1694), Heinrich van Bein (1689–98), and G. Vischer, Erasmus Kamyn, P. Schentz and M. Heylbrouck, who all worked at the close of the century.