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All Rights Reserved.
Acorn
Ornament resembling an acorn or an egg in an egg cup. Typically found in
Jacobean furniture as finials on chair posts and bedposts, as pendants,
and as the profile of leg turnings in Jacobean tables.
Amaranth
A deep, violet-colored wood otherwise known as purple wood. Also called
"violetwood" and "purpleheart." The wood was used in the 18th century
for veneering and marquetry mainly in France.
Apron
A structural part of furniture. The downward extension below what would
normally be the bottom edge. It is purely decorative or, as in a close
chair, hiding something unattractive. In tables, it is the piece just
under the top, connecting the legs. In chairs, it is beneath the seat.
The apron is sometimes called "skirt."
Arcade
A series of carved ornamental arches, most often found in architecture but
also in relief on furniture (for example chair backs). Arcades were
popular in the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Armoire
A large ornamental cupboard with shelves, hanging space and doors. Also
known as a wardrobe. The Gothic types are huge and decorated with
elaborate iron hinges and locks. The earliest armoires were likely
painted, and were used to store arms and armor. Later, panels were
carved intricately with pictures or simple linen fold patterns. During
the French Renaissance, armoires were lavished with columns, canopied
niches, and panels carved with mythological pictures.
Art Nouveau
The highly decorative style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Art
Nouveau is characterized by a flowing lines often ending in abrupt whip
like sharp curves based on plant forms and influenced by Japanese and
Gothic art. The style was born out of a rejection of the typical stale,
conservatism of the time and a revolt of the mass production of
furniture. A conscious effort to create along new lines inspired this
"New Art."
Ball foot
Characteristic of the 17th century, but also found earlier and later, the
ball foot is a spherical foot on chests, tables, etc.. Also called a bun
foot in England.
Baroque
European design from the late 16th to the early 18th Century tended toward
exaggeration and over-emphasis. Straying from the Renaissance Classical
disciplines, Baroque strived for great vigor and movement, eventually
leading to the ultra-ornamental Rococo. Motion is the essence of the
Baroque with large curves, fantastic and irregular ornaments, twisted
columns and oversized moldings. Baroque introduced a new meaning to
scale and proportion.
Beech wood
A pale brown wood with a dense texture used widely in the 17th Century in
country furniture. Used as an imitation of the more expensive Walnut;
found in good French provincial furniture.
Bell-flower
A stylized carving or inlay (or painted) of three-petal bud resembling
bell shaped flowers on the legs of chairs and tables in the late 18th
Century. Usually arranged vertically.
Buffet
A sideboard or dining room dresser with shelves above and often a cupboard
below. Usually used for serving and for items not immediately wanted at
the table. Originally Italian, the buffet was highly developed in France
and in England in the Stuart period, and later in many forms throughout
the Georgian Era.
Cabriole leg
The most common distinguishing feature in chairs, etc. From the late 17th
to the late 18th Century. The leg starts just under the seat or table
and curves outward forming a knee, then curves inward, tapering, to the
foot. It is originally from China. The cabriole leg is sometimes called
a bandy leg. In French, cabriole means "to caper like a goat."
Canapé
A French sofa or settee with a high, unbroken back often with auxiliary
cushions and closed ends. Popular during the Louis XV period (and
later).
Chippendale
Style of furniture associated with the famous English cabinet maker,
Thomas Chippendale (1718-79). Chippendale designs are derived from
Rococo, revived Gothic and Chinese.
Claw and ball
A claw-and-ball foot is a carved foot used on tables and chairs in the
early years of the 18th Century in England. It is perhaps derived from
the claw of the Chinese dragon grasping the sacred pearl.
Commode
18th Century French chest of drawers. The English also use the term to
mean a chest of drawers. Usually, a commode is highly decorated, with or
without drawers and on short legs with a rounded or serpentine front.
They sometimes have cupboards. Often the French commodes are more highly
decorated with gilt-bronze mounts, veneering, and marquetry, and usually
with a marble top. They were used mainly in salons and the more
important rooms. The word means "commodious" or "convenient" and were
often used for storage.
Davenport
A small narrow writing desk, mainly mid-19th Century English. Usually,
these desks have a sloping writing area and drawers or cupboards below
(often pulling out sideways). The first Davenport desks were made around
1790 to the order of Captain Davenport, but most are mid-Victorian.
Derbyshire Chair
English country chair made during the Jacobean period.
Divan
An upholstered bench, or backless and armless sofa. Originally, this piece
of furniture expressed nostalgia for the Near East. Now, the divan is
characteristic of cheaply furnished bed-sitting rooms.
Dovetail
Method of joining boards, often in drawers, in which interlocking tendons
suggest the form of a dovetail.
Dowel
Round wooden pegs which, with glue, are used to hold two pieces of wood
together.
Drake foot
A three-toed foot often seen in 18th Century furniture.
Dresser
Derived from the European word: Dressoir. A dresser is also known as a
sideboard or buffet used mostly for storage and display of utensils. It
can also be a low chest of drawers with a mirror, used for dressing and
the storage of clothing.
Egg-and-Dart
Also called Egg-and-Tongue or Egg-and-Anchor. Molding or carved enrichment
in the form of a row of ovals alternating with dart-like forms. Popular
in Neo-Classical furniture, Egg-and-Dart is one of the most frequent in
carved woodwork after the early 16th Century.
Empire style
The neoclassic style of architecture and decoration led by Napoleon.
Covers roughly the first quarter of the 19th Century in the French
style. Based on the imperial forms of ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt.
The furniture is massive, rectangular and uses rich woods such as
Mahogany, Rosewood and Ebony as well as metal mountings.
Entasis
A slight, convex curve or swelling of a column at the middle of an
otherwise straight column. Entasis was used in Doric columns to overcome
the optical illusion of hollowness that appears in a perfectly straight
column.
Étagère
A tier of shelves supported by columns above a table or cupboard for
displaying ornaments or hanging shelves. Although most common in the
19th Century, étagère carved from exotic woods can be seen from the time
of Louis XVI.
Evolute
Recurring wave scroll often decorating friezes and bands.
Faldstool
An early (12th Century) portable folding chair. Similar to a camp stool,
with the legs in an X and extending up to create arm rests and a back
rail. In religious use, a litany desk.
Fasces
Roman decoration appearing mostly in classical revivals such as Louis XIV
and the Empire. The motif resembles a bundle of rods with a projecting
ax.
Federal Style
American furniture during the early years of the Republic, roughly
1780-1830. Essentially Neo-Classical with traces of antique Pompeian and
Greco-Roman design. Influenced by the Directoire and Empire, or Regency
styles.
Fiddle back
Queen Anne style (18th Century) chair with a back resembling a violin. It
also has the delicately grained veneer as found on the back of a violin.
Finial
Decorative piece usually placed on the top of a piece to accentuate a
point or ending of a structural feature (usually on a canopy, pediment,
dish cover, etc.).
Gallery
A small, ornamental railing of metal or wood, usually fretted or pierced.
Gallery's are most often found around the tops or edges of tables or the
tops of cabinets in the Louis XVI style. Chippendale style also
frequently used wooden galleries. Various works had silver or brass
galleries. Galleries were most popular in the latter half of the 18th
Century.
Gate Leg Table
A type of folding table in which one or more drop leaves are supported by
a leg or gate that swings away form a central fixed structure. First
appearing in the early 17th Century, gate leg tables became more
elaborate having up to four gates (rather than the normal two) and
barley twist turned legs were found in the finest specimens. Gate legs
were made with as many as twelve legs and appeared in every style in the
17th Century.
Gilding
Decoration with gold in the 18th Century. Gold-leaf could be used in
several different colors from a full yellow to a leaf with a slightly
reddish cast. Application could be either via gold-leaf or powder in a
liquid vehicle. Gilding was used to produce a sumptuous effect.
Gooseneck
Also called swan-neck or broken arch, gooseneck is a curved arch of the
pediment of highboys and the like.
Griffin (or Gryphon)
In Greek mythology, a beast with the body of a lion and the head of an
eagle. Occurring in much Late Italian Renaissance, French Renaissance
through Louis XIV, and the work of Adam and Sheraton, and again in the
Empire and Regency styles. A Griffin represents strength, agility and
the destroying power of the gods.
Highboy
Tall, chest of drawers, usually in two sections. A highboy is an 18th
Century English piece, usually with broken-arch pediment and cabriole
legs. The upper chest is usually being carried on a table-like structure
or lowboy with long legs. Transported to America, a highboy has William
and Mary and Queen Anne influences which were altered to Colonial
American tastes.
Hitchcock Chair
American type of chair from 1820-1850 with caned seat and painted floral
designs. The style is associated with Lambert Hitchcock of Hitchcock
Ville, Connecticut. The typical form derives from a Sheraton "fancy"
chair and has a pillow back or oval-turned top rail, and straight-turned
front legs.
Hock-leg
A cabriole leg with a curve and angle inside the knee. Also known as
hipped.
Hoop-back
Chair back in which the top rail and uprights form a curve which descends
continually to the seat and the arms continue to form a single back
rail. Bow back in Windsor chairs.
Hutch
A small cabinet or chest used for storing food often with a pierced door
or ventilation. Usually has legs and doors and backed with a coarse
cloth. From the French huche, a hutch descends from the Middle Ages and
was common in France, Italy and especially in early Jacobean England.
Imbrication
Decoration resembling fish scales, or overlapping in the manner of tiles
or shingles on a roof. Imbrication was adapted from the antique Roman in
the Italian Renaissance.
Inlay
Decoration and designs formed in flat surfaces of wood made by cutting a
shallow pattern and filling it with wood of contrasting color, or shell,
ivory, metal, mother-of-pearl, etc.. The process is one of the oldest
arts and has been valued as one of the highest achievements in ancient
woodworkers records.
Intaglio
Incised carving cut into the surface. The design is cut out rather than
the surround, as in a seal.
Intarsia
Form of wood inlay, principally of other materials such as shell, ivory
and metal, derived from Oriental ivory inlays. Intarsia first was used
in the 13th Century in European work in Siena.
Iron
A metal used since prehistoric times. Iron is easy to work with,
especially when hot, cheap and easy to mass produce. Most popular for
garden furniture in the 19th Century. Iron figures in furniture in both
cast and wrought form. The earliest wood construction relied on iron
reinforcement in hinges and straps.
Jacaranda
A Brazilian hardwood originating from various trees. Most often used in
Portuguese chairs during the 17th and 18th Centuries.
Jacobean
From the Latin Jacobus (James). General term for English styles up to 1688
(King James I ruled from 1603-25). Foreign influence and the passing of
the Oak styles can be noticed. Furniture becomes lighter and the
decoration moves from Early Renaissance types to Baroque.
Japanning
The art of coating surfaces such as wood or metal (particularly tin-plate)
with different varnishes dried in heat chambers before painting or
engraving, etc.. Used heavily in the Orient. Also know as lacquering.
Joinery
The mechanics of furniture and wood-work mid-way between carpentry and
cabinetmaking focusing on smaller items. An antiquated term, joinery is
to the interior designer what masonry is to the architect. Literally,
joinery means the joining together of pieces of wood.
Jugendstil
Style in Germany similar to the Art Nouveau period in France (1895-1912).
Literally means "Youth Style." Jugendstil emerged in a time of rebellion
and self-consciousness and never reached international acclaim.
Kidney Desk
Kidney desk, table, bench, etc.. Shaped like a horseshoe, or oval with a
concave front. Kidney shaped furniture appeared in the late 18th Century
in France and England.
Kingwood
A dark, reddish-brown, sometimes purple wood similar to rosewood. Used
primarily for inlay and veneer, Kingwood was popular in the 17th Century
in the periods of Louis XV, Queen Anne and Late Georgian. It was mostly
imported from Brazil.
Klismos
An Ancient Greek chair revived during the Neo-Classical period.
Characterized with saber-curved legs and a shallow, curved backrest on
three posts.
Kneehole
Desks, tables or chests were often built with an opening in the center to
accommodate the knees of a person while seated. This area, the kneehole,
is usually between two sets of drawers. Sometimes there is a compartment
at the back with additional doors or storage.
Kussenkast
A large Dutch cupboard from the 17th or 18th Century. Often with
decorative inlay.
Ladderback
Chair back designed with several horizontal slats or rails similar to a
ladder going across the back. Oftentimes, ladderback are used on high
back chairs. Originally a country piece, or Pilgrim furniture,
ladderbacks became popular with Chippendale style work and 17th Century
elaborately carved chairs.
Linen fold
Gothic carved decoration in the imitation of folded cloth in the upright
position (on a panel, cupboard etc..). Probably originating following
the pattern of folded napkins on the chalice in the Catholic ritual.
Most often, linen fold is found in Oak and on Tudor furniture.
Livery Cupboard
A special cupboard used during the 16th Century England to store food.
Open doors or grilles of wooden spindles were used for ventilation.
Lowboy
English low chest or table often with two layers and drawers. Made around
1700, lowboys often complimented highboys. Beginning in the Jacobean
period by lifting a chest up on taller legs, the lowboy was quickly
extended to side tables, dressing tables, and the like.
Lunette
A decorative band or molding in which the half moon shape is repeated with
elaborate carvings, inlay or paintings. Most often used in the 18th
Century dressing tables, commodes, etc.. In English Late Georgian work,
lunettes were often inlaid or painted with fan-shaped designs.
Mahogany
A reddish-brown wood originating from the West Indies. Mahogany was the
most common wood used for cabinetmaking since the early 18th Century.
The wood has medium hardness, great strength and is easy to polish. Thus
it is very conducive to cabinetmaking. Used all over England, France,
Spain and Italy, Mahogany is also prevalent in the Empire and Federal
period of American work.
Marble
Marble dates back to the Roman, Greek and Egyptian times. The substance is
a strong, beautiful, crystalline limestone appearing in various colors.
The Empire style revived the classic use of marble and it was used
extensively throughout 19th Century Europe and America.
Marquetry
An ornamental inlay of contrasting woods, shell, ivory, metal, etc.. into
a background of veneer.
Mission
During the 1900s, the Arts and Crafts Movement represented the crude,
thick style of furniture built by missionaries and Indians in the
Spanish missions of Southwest America. Most Mission furniture is heavy
and square, made of Oak, and mostly unfinished.
Molding
Most often made of wood, molding is a band around a wall at the ceiling,
around a panel or on a cornice. Moldings are used to emphasize the
difference in planes or in certain lighting.
Nail head Decoration
Nails with ornamental heads were used for the finishing of upholstery work
(Securing upholstery to the frame). Ornamental nails are also often used
to make patterns. For example, in the French period of Henry II, nails
were arranged in a daisy pattern on screens and coffers. Large nail
heads are characteristic of Portuguese and Spanish work.
Nails and Screws
It is often thought that iron nails and screws are not used in antique
furniture. Even though wooden dowels were most often used in early
furniture, nails and screws are also found in early pieces. Nails were
all hand cut until about 1790 and appear more triangular with larger
heads than modern screws. Screws were introduced in 1675 and therefore
should not be present in anything before this time. The threads on early
screws were hand filed and the ends were not pointed. Modern pointed
screws were not introduced until 1851, however screws may have been used
to repair pieces from before this time on hinges and locks. Because
nails often fall out and need to be replaced, it is difficult to date a
piece based upon the nails and screws.
Neo-Classical style
The revival of interest in the classical design which includes styles such
as Renaissance, Adam, and Empire. Although the classic style never
totally died in England, its revival was encouraged by the excavations
at Pompeii and Herculaneum. The principal influences at work in the
dissemination of the new discoveries were Johann Joachim Winckelmann the
Comte de Caylus and Sir William Hamilton the English Ambassador at
Naples. The return to the classical style was also encouraged by
reaction against the excesses of Rococo style.
Neo-Gothic
The revival of the gothic style in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Nonsuch Chest
A Tudor chest with inlaid decoration suggestive of the famous Nonsuch
palace built by Henry VIII. (no longer exists) It is probably of Flemish
rather than English make.
Notching
Simple form of decoration found in primitive woodwork.
Nursing Chair
Name given to any short legged, low seated chair, whether or not designed
for a nursing mother.
Oak
A pale brown hard, durable wood of course texture. Its hardness made it
difficult to carve but quite durable. Oak has been very widely used in
furniture up to the 17th century. Because of its heavy use in the 17th
century, it has often been called the "oak period". Practically all
Gothic work is of oak. It is the typical wood of all the Tudor and
Jacobean styles in England, and the Early Renaissance in Flanders and
Germany. After the 17th century, oak was used more as a secondary wood.
Olive Wood
A hard, close-grained wood, greenish yellow in color, with irregular dark
markings. Often used for veneers and boxes form the 17th century.
The wreaths of branches symbolize peace and the foliage in Christian art
symbolizes the Virgin.
Onion Foot
Oval-shaped cabinet foot. Similar to a bun foot, flattened at the bottom
and with an upward curve at the top.
Orangewood
A fruit wood sometimes used in Portuguese and Spanish furniture.
Ottoman
A long, low stuffed bench having neither a back or arms. These were first
seen in the early 18th century by the Ottoman Turks. The term has more
widely been used to describe various shapes and sizes of overstuffed
seats without backs. The ottoman should not be confused with an Ottoman
which was primarily a small settee, usually with an oval seat, and the
arms integral to the back.
Oval Back
A chair shape developed by Hepplewhite after the French precedent.
Oyster Veneer or Oystering
Whirling patterns of veneers cut from roots and small branches. Laid side
by side and in irregular concentric rings which resemble oyster shells.
Perhaps originally a Dutch technique, Oyster Veneer is found chiefly on
panels and drawer fronts from the late 17th century. Commonly used woods
are walnut, laburnum saplings, lignum vatae, olive wood and some
fruitwoods.
Pad Foot
Flattish, rounded foot end of a cabriole leg. Very similar to a club foot
and the term is often used interchangeably.
Palmette
A decorative motif in the form of a stylized palm leaf. Originated on
Egyptian and Assyrian work and later was incorporated on many other
styles.
Parquetry
Parquetry was originally used to refer to the design of wood-block floors.
The blocks were laid in a pattern to contrast the grain of each piece.
This method has been used on furniture veneers to make patterns of
contrasting grain. Parquetry generally uses the same wood laid to make
geometric designs and differs from Marquetry which creates more
pictorial designs.
Patina
Changes to the color and texture of a surface as the result of the passage
of time, which includes normal wear and tear. The shellac, varnish, or
oil will deepen on wood furniture as time passes. After many years of
polishing, edges wear smooth and sharp outlines tend to soften. Sunlight
and air pollutants will also have a long term effect on the surface of
furniture. A fine patina is characteristic of quality antique furniture,
as it is almost impossible to reproduce in a way which will deceive
those who have studied the subject. However, during the 19th century, a
good deal of old furniture was stripped of its patination and the
surface refinished.
Paw Foot
A furniture leg ending in an animal paw. The most common animal paw used
is the lion, but sometimes a dogs paw is used. During the Neo-Classical
period, the paw foot was often gilded.
Phyfe, Duncan
An American cabinet maker of Scottish descent. Arriving in New York around
1790, he began is work in the Adam-Hepplewhite style. His early work is
heavily influenced by Sheraton, and his later work by the French Empire
and English Regency styles. His early work was made from Mahogany and
later he used much Rosewood. Delicately carved lines, carvings of
leaves, plumes and animal motives exemplify his work. The lyre motif he
used so often can be seen on chair backs and table bases.
Pie-crust Table
A small table, usually round with edge carved or molded in scalloped
outline suggestive of pie crust. The table usually sits atop a tripod
base. During the Chippendale style, the pedestals were elaborately
carved. The tripod base consists of three cabriole legs ending in claw
and ball feet.
Quartering
Method of applying veneer to large flat surfaces. Four thin slices of
veneer are cut from the same piece and are laid in opposite mirror
images on a surface such as a desk or table.
Queen Anne Style
The style of English furniture during the reign of Queen Anne. She ruled
from 1702 to 1714 yet the style continued in various forms throughout
the 18th century. The period is characterized by curves rather than
straight lines. The Queen Anne style can is identified with the cabriole
leg, the use of walnut rather than oak, increasing elegance of style and
use of upholstery. The Queen Anne style existed in the United States
during roughly the same time.
Rebate
A type of joint in furniture making. Similar to the tongue-and-groove
where rectangular groove is cut in wood to allow the carved tongue to
fit in.
Reeding
The opposite of Fluting. It is an ornament using slim vertical, convex
bands. The reeds are often raised above the surface they decorate but
are also set flush against it. Reeding is often used along with fluting
to ornament furniture.
Refectory Table
A long narrow dining table named after the refectory of a monastery.
Traditionally the piece is made of oak and is accompanied by benches.
Regency Style
Style fashionable from 1811 to 1820 when the Prince of Wales was regent.
However the term is commonly used to cover anything between 1793 to the
accession of Queen Victory in 1837. The style is often confused with
Directoire and Empire as they were in fashion through the same period.
The Regency style shows decreasing influence of Pompeii, and puts
increasing emphasis upon early Greek, Roman, and Egyptian styles. The
style is characterized by the use of dark woods, strict adherence to
classical forms, inlaid brass stringing, and heavy use of brass mounts.
Some influence of oriental styles can be seen.
Renaissance Period
Renaissance literally means "The Rebirth". This period is marked by a
return to the classical arts and learning of Greece and Rome. This
period follows the Gothic Period in Europe beginning around the 15th
century. For simplicity, many scholars separate the period into three
distinct parts: Early Renaissance from about 1420 to 1500, High
Renaissance which ended around 1530, and Late Renaissance from 1530 to
1600. The Renaissance style began in Italy (Florence) fostered by the
wealth of the Medici Family. An outburst of new motifs and styles were
created during this period as general economic conditions improved for
peasants. A middle class began to evolve and furniture became more
essential.
Rent Table
A round table on a pedestal which has the days of the week and months
written on the side along with drawers. The tables were used by
landlords so that tenants could pay rent systematically. These are also
often called drum tables.
Reproduction
A reproduction or replica refers to a piece created in a historic style
intending to copy an original. Great care is taken in creating
reproductions coping the form, style, and material of the piece. The
patination of a antique piece is often simulated as well.
Secession
Art Nouveau style in design in Vienna, Austria beginning around 1896.
Artists Klimt and Olbrich set up a firm dictating the direct, graceful,
charming style.
Secretaire; Secretary
Also called a bureau in Europe, a secretary usually has drawers below and
a bookcase above. The desk, used for writing, is often closed in.
Serpentine
Describes a waving or undulating surface such as on the front of a commode
or dresser. The pattern resembles a flat S . On furniture, the center is
usually protruding and the ends are concave.
Settee
A seat similar to a sofa about the width of two chairs together. The arms
are usually low and the back is sometimes upholstered. The seat is light
and open.
Shaker furniture
Furniture made from the religious group called the Shakers in America.
Usually the furniture is extremely simple and unadorned. Following the
lines of nature, shaker furniture is plain, clean and mostly made of
local wood such as maple.
Sheaf Back
Small chairs typical in France in the late 18th and 19th Centuries, having
a delicate back resembling a graceful bundle of rods spreading out in a
fan shape. Usually, they have straw seats.
Tabernacle
Small space or recess in a piece of furniture, such as a cabinet, designed
for a statue or a vase. Originally a movable dwelling, such as a tent,
especially the dwelling place of the Jewish God during the exile of the
Israelites had tabernacles, or niches, to hold shrines or a holy images.
Tallboy
Otherwise known as the American highboy, a tallboy is literally a chest on
a chest. The bottom chest is usually wide and low and carries a narrower
and slightly taller chest. Often the top drawer is divided into three.
Tern Feet
Three-scrolled feet, sometimes just grooved with three lines.
Tilt-top Table
Any folding table where the top is hinged to the base or pedestal so that
it may be tipped to a vertical position to save space or display the
decoration on the top. Appearing the late 18th Century, tilt-top tables
were usually round at the surface.
Truss
In furniture, a large brace or understructure for tables and chest-stands,
or a bracket. Usually used as ornamentation.
Umbrella Stand
Used mostly in the mid-19th Century in England, umbrella stands grew from
a simple, functional holder of umbrellas, to an elaborate, decorate
piece of furniture in the hall.
Underbracing
Stretchers and braces supporting furniture such as tables, chairs and
stands with legs.
Ungulate
Hoofed, as on a handle of a spoon, foot of a chair leg, etc.
Universal
A work applied to certain pieces of furniture in the 19th Century having
some special versatility. For example, an extending table, an adjustable
easy chair or a clock dial that shows the time throughout the world
would be universal.
Urn
A classical form of Vase-shaped vessel used as decoration in Greco-Roman
The urn has a wide mouth, a curved body and two handles and feet. It is
used free standing as finials and at the intersection of crossed
stretchers, etc.. Especially in the Adam and Louis XVI styles.
Vanity
The modern word for a dressing table.
Veneer
The art of gluing a thin layer (1/8 of an inch or less) of decorative wood
to a thicker backing for substance. Veneering began chiefly for
cheapness as importing exotic woods was expensive. The art goes back to
ancient Egypt and Rome but was not seen in England before the late 17th
Century.
Victorian
English and American furniture from 1840-1900. Queen Victoria reigned from
1837-1901). Often the style is a revival of past styles such as Gothic,
Renaissance, Baroque, and Chinese.
Violin back
Term used to describe a chair back in which the splat is shaped like a
violin or to veneer like the back of a violin. Appearing in the 18th
Century.
Volute
Spiral classical scroll form as on Ionic capitals, occurring in pairs.
Wainscot
Panel work made out of wood (usually Oak) not covering the wall all the
way to the ceiling. Used in the 16th Century in the Gothic style.
Walnut
A light brown wood with well defined markings. Walnut has been a leading
wood for furniture since ancient times due to its prevalence wherever
civilizations have flourished as well as its excellence and wide
adaptability.
Wardrobe
Formerly a cupboard where clothing was kept, evolved into a large cabinet
or cupboard with shelved for the same purpose. Similar to the old
armoire.
Washstand
Used in the 18th Century, washstands were developed to hold a water basin
and pitcher for cleaning oneself. Usually a small table or cabinet holds
the basin and other cleaning accessories. Washstands were often in the
bedroom.
William and Mary
Style during William and Mary's reign from 1689-1702 in England. This
period is marked by the age of Walnut and replaced the Jacobean style.
Characteristics of William and Mary furniture are the cabriole leg,
seaweed marquetry, the highboy and flat serpentine stretchers.
X-Chair or X-Stool
Ancient chair based on the folding chair. Earliest forms of the stool had
leather or skin seats. The legs form the shape of an X.
X-Stretcher
Crossed stretchers on chairs or tables, etc. Used for support.
Yew Wood
Hard and durable, close-grained, light brown to reddish brown wood.
Resistant to decay and wear, Yew was popular since the 17th Century
although it was also used in ancient times. Used mainly in country
furniture such as Windsor chairs.
Yorkshire Chair
English carved side chair from the 17th Century, peculiar to Yorkshire.
Usually it is made of Oak with turned front legs and stretchers.
Yuba
Tasmanian oak with dense texture and regular curly figure.
Zebrawood
Wood from British Guiana with deep stripping of dark reddish brown on
creamy ground. Used mainly as decorative inlays and bandings.
Zeeland chest
A low, elaborately carved two-staged cupboard on ball feet.
Zig-zag
A decoration in a shape similar to lightening (a jagged line).
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