The Chinamania had by no means subsided in Chippendale’s day. The case or shelf full of choice bits of porcelain was to be met with in many rooms, and always in the lady’s boudoir and dressing-room. In Chippendale’s first book, a number of china cases, Chinese cases, Chinese hanging shelves and Chinese shelves standing on feet appear, and even one labelled “India cabinet” shows the same style of treatment, which is, of course, either fret-work or a conglomeration of pagodas, mandarin hats, Chinese figures, bells and turned-up edges mingled with leaves and scrolls and dripping water. In the first edition of Chippendale’s book (Plates CV., CVI., CVII., CVIII. and CIX.) are china cases. “The latter,” he says, “is a very neat china case upon a frame, with glass doors in the front and ends; betwixt the middle feet is a stretcher, with a little canopy which will hold a small figure. This design must be executed by the hands of an ingenious workman, and when neatly japann’d will appear very beautiful.” This is the china case that is shown on Plate XXXVIII., and is dated 1753. The glass doors are enriched with ornate vines thick with leaves and flowers and dripping water. The ornaments of the top and sides are decorated with little bells, and there is a generous use of fret-work. Plate CX. of the first edition also shows a “china case with glass doors;” and Plate CXI. another, of which Chippendale seems to be very proud. He says it is “not only the richest and most magnificent in the whole, but perhaps in all Europe. I had a particular pleasure in retouching and finishing this design, but should have much more in the execution of it, as I am confident I can make the work more beautiful and striking than the drawing. The proportion and harmony of the several parts will then be view’d with advantage and reflect mutual beauty upon each other. The ornaments will appear more natural and graceful, and the whole construction will be so much improv’d under the ingenious hand of a workman as to make it fit to adorn the most elegant apartment.” [Illustration: PLATE XLI] China cases on which to place the china are most elaborately carved; one of these in the Chinese style “may be soft wood and japanned, or painted and partly gilt.” A china case very proper for a lady’s dressing-room may “be made of any soft wood and japanned any colour.” Hanging shelves for china are shown in Nos. 3 and 4 on Plate XLII. The latter is confessedly “in the Chinese taste.” In some of his highly ornamental cabinets the ornaments are intended to conceal the joining. He says: “They may be brass or silver finely chased and put on, or they may be cut in filligree work in wood, brass or silver.” Chippendale fills four plates with a variety of Chinese railings, “very proper for gardens and other places, and may be converted (by the ingenious workman) to other uses.”