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Furniture Terms Explained
24/05/2009
An Alphabetical list of Antique Furniture Terms
A
Acanthus
A leaf decoration originally used as classical ornament in the capitals of Corinthian columns. Often found in mahogany furniture from the Georgian period onwards.
Apron
Situated below the seat rail of a chair or settee, for show rather than function. Also found below the frieze of cabinets and tables.
Arcading
Arch like carving often used on chair-backs and panels.
Armoire
French wardrobe, originating from the late 16th century
Astragal
A small moulding, frequently used for glazed panels in furniture.
B
Baize
Cloth used for lining, card tables etc, often green in colour.
Ball-and-Claw Foot
A furniture foot formed as claws or talons grasping a ball, indicative of English 18th-century furniture.
Ball Foot
A fore runner to the Ball and Claw foot, used in late 17th century furniture.
Baluster
Turned wooden verticals supporting the rail of a staircase or splat of a chair.
Bamboo Turning
Wood turned to simulate the natural appearance of bamboo, usually painted.
Banding
A decorative, inlaid border or broad edging of contrasting wood or woods. E.g Satinwood against mahogany.
Baroque
A style of architecture, art and decoration, which originated in Italy during the late 16th century and spread throughout Europe. Characterised by over scaled, bold details and sweeping curves.
Bead
A moulding, resembling a string of beads, or a small, plain moulding of semi-circular section.
Bead and Reel
A decorative border found in the form of inlay in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Bell Turning
A type of turning used for furniture legs and pedestal supports shaped like a conventional bell. Common in the William and Mary style.
Belle Époque
Style of the later part of the 19th century and early 20th century, combining Victorian eclecticism and the flowing forms of Art Nouveau.
Bergere
French design of armchairs and couches with upholstered sides from c.1725. Early models were caned, later ones upholstered.
Bevel
The edge of any flat surface that has been cut at a slant to the main area. May refer to glass, mirror or wood.
Biedermeier
A style of furniture produced in Austria and Germany during the first half of the 19th century. Inspired by French Empire and German painted peasant work. Simple marquetry patterns were used with pressed brass ornaments. Woods used were mainly fruitwoods, maple, mahogany and birch.
Bird's Eye
Patterning in timber ( especially maple) formed by small depressions in the outermost growth ring of the tree, with the later growth following the contours. When cut it forms a series of small concentric circles reminiscent of birds' eyes.
Black Forest
Furniture carved in and around Bern, Switzerland, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, commonly identified by its use of carved bears and other creatures of the forest, such as deer and birds. Lime was preferred as it is easy to carve, but walnut was also widely used.
Blackamoors
Blackamoors are carved figures from Venice. The first from the late 17th century. Blackamoors ranged from life-size figures in the form of torcheres to diminutive table top figurines used as candleholders.
Boiserie
Richly carved woodwork used as panels, especially French 17th and 18th century.
Bonheur-du-jour
A small, French light lady's writing desk first made in 1760s. With a central drawer in front, tiered shelves and cupboards to the back.
Boulle
Decorative type of marquetry in which tortoiseshell, brass, copper and tin are cut and pierced into elaborate floral or curving designs. Originally a 10th century Italian process, Boulle marquety developed in 17th century France and was perfected by Andre-Charles Boulle (1642-1732).
Bracket Foot
Used on chests, cabinets etc. A straight corner edge and curved inner edges.
Breakfront
Description of furniture with one or more projecting portions e.g bookcase or dresser
Brocade
A jacquard weave fabric, with pattern in low relief, usually on a satin background.
Bronze d'Ore
Ornamental coating of gold leaf or gold dust also known as gilding.
Bun Foot
Base of leg resembling a slightly flattened ball or sphere. Commonly used in William and Mary case furniture.
Bureau
Desk popular in late 17th-century England and France distinguished by its sloping fall-front. The flap is hinged at the base and rests on loppers when open, folding up at an angle when closed. ( In America, used to describe a bedroom chest of drawers.)
Burr
A curly-grained wood surface or veneer cut from irregular outgrowths of the tree, such as the roots or crotches. Very common in walnut.
C
Cabochon
An oval motif bordered by ornamental carving, found in particular on the knees of chair legs.
Cabriole leg
A furniture leg with a double curve, a stylised form of animal's hind leg with elongated "S" shape; upon club, hoof, bun, paw, claw and ball or scroll feet. Popular in late 18th and 19th-century.
Camel Back
The shape of a chair or sofa back of late Chippendale or Hepplewhite style. The top rail is in the form of a serpentine curve with two humps downward and three humps upward.
Caning
A woody stem of rattan or sugar cane used for wickerwork, seats of chairs, summer furniture, etc.
Canopy
A draped covering of fabric suspended over a piece of furniture and supported by four posts.
Canted
A surface which is bevelled, chamfered, or obliquely faced.
Canterbury
Ornamental stand having divisions for papers, portfolios, magazines etc.
Carcase
The body of a piece of furniture.
Cartouche
A cartouche is an ornamental motif, typically oval in shape with curved or scrolling edges, often containing a coat-of-arms, ornamental monogram or inscription.
Case furniture
Furniture which provides storage space.
Cavetto
A prominent cornice in large furniture and a hollowed moulding forming in profile the quadrant of a circle
Cellaret
A portable chest, case, or cabinet for storing bottles, decanters and glasses, dating from the 18th century.
Chaise lounge
A long chair designed for relaxing and semi-reclining, usually upholstered. Adapted from the French 18th-century style, when it was often made in two parts: a deep bergere and large stool, which when put together, formed a daytime sofa.
Chamfered
A surface or edge which has been smoothed off, bevelled or cut away from the square.
Chequer banding
An inlay of light and dark woods forming a pattern of squares like that of a chess board.
Chest-on-chest
A chest of drawers with two parts, one mounted on top of the other. Similar to a tallboy.
Chesterfield
An overstuffed sofa of large size with a continuous straight back and upholstered ends.
Cheval mirror
A large full-length mirror, floor standing within a framework. Thus enabling it to be tilted.
Chiffonier
A sideboard, or cabinet, introduced during the late 18th century with open shelves for books and a cupboard or drawers below.
Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale 1718-1779 was one of the great cabinet makers of the 18th-century England. His work shows a refinement of Georgian styles, influenced by the Gothic, Chinese and French Rococo. The first of his era to extensively use mahogany rather than walnut, ( the prevailing wood in the Early Georgian period.)
Club foot
The most common terminal to the cabriole leg also known as pad foot.
Cock beading
Small moulding applied to the edges of drawer fronts. (see Astragal moulding)
Commode
French form of low chest-of-drawers, originally intended for the drawing room, dating from the mid 17th-century and very popular in the 18th century. Became a term for bedroom cupboards in the 19th century.
Console Table
A small table that can be attached to the wall in the back having only two legs in front or can be free-standing against the wall.
Cornice
Horizontal moulding at the top of bookcases and cabinets.
Coromandel
A very hard wood similar to ebony.
Credenza
Sideboard with doors surmounted by drawers, used for storage.
Crossbanding
Thin strips of decorative cross-grained veneer.
Crown moulding
The highest moulding on a door, window, or cabinet.
D
Damask
A linen, cotton or silk fabric with a reversible jacquard weave and a lustrous surface.
Davenport
Small writing desk with a sloping top, brass galleries, a set of drawers on one side and false drawer fronts on the other. It is believed that the famous furniture making firm, Gillows of London, first created the desk around 1790 for a Captain Davenport.
Dentil
The under moulding of a cornice consisting of a series of small rectangular shaped blocks or "teeth".
Dovetail
A method of joinery with a tenon or tongue that flares outward in the shape of a dove's tail that interlocks with alternating similar grooves or projections from another piece of wood. Frequently used to join corners of drawers and cabinets.
Dowel
Headless pin of metal or wood which fits into a corresponding hole on another piece, forming a joint fastening them together.
Drop-front
A top or front of a desk hinged at the bottom that drops to a horizontal position, forming a surface for writing. Also called a drop-lid.
Drop-leaf
A leaf, hinged to the side of a table, which drops at the side when not in use.
Drum table
A round table with a deep apron resembling a drum.
Dumb waiter
A serving table, consisting of three or four graded circular trays on a central shaft with the smallest at the top and the largest at the bottom. Also known as a tier table.
E
Ebonizing
The staining of wood to black to simulate ebony.
Ebony
The name given to several different woods that are very dark in colour.
Empire
A period of Neo-classic design during the reign of Napoleon 1804-14. Greek, Roman, and Egyptian motifs were widely used.
Escutcheon
Metal plate fitted around a keyhole for protection and decoration or to which a handle or knob can be attached.
F
Fauteuil
French arm chair with upholstered seat and back.
Fielded panel
A panel with bevelled edges, enclosing a flat central field.
Finial
A knob or crowning, on the top of cabinets and the top of pole screens.
Fleur-de-lis
A conventionalised iris flower in France as a decorative motif symbolizing royalty.
Flip-top
A table having two leaves, one on top of the other.
Fluting
Decoration formed by making parallel, concave grooves. In classical architecture they are commonly seen on column shafts and run in a vertical direction.
French polish
A durable finish of high gloss created by applying successive layers of shellac varnish to wood. The name is used because it is believed to have been first used in France in the late 1600s.
French Provincial
Furniture style created by craftsmen in the French provinces. Local woods were generally used for pieces that were practical for the home.
Fretwork
Elaborate form of pierced decoration in wood created by using a fretsaw.
G
Gadrooning
Carved ornamental edging of repetitive forms, concave or convex, upright or twisted. A popular ornament during the oak period.
Gallery
The ornamental metal or wood railing around the edge of a table or desk.
Georgian
A period of design in English furniture from 1714 to 1795. Among the best known designers were Hepplewhite, Sheraton, Chippendale, and the Adams Brothers. Mahogany and walnut were the chief woods used.
Gesso
A prepared plaster of chalk and white lead, which may be cast to make repeating ornamental forms in relief to be applied to wood panels, plaster surfaces etc.
Gilding
The decoration of an object with a thin layer of gold, gold leaf or gold foil.
Gillows
Founded in 1703 by Robert Gillows, the Gillows firm operated successfully as a family-owned business well into the 19th century. Operating from Lancaster, England, Gillows was especially noted for their quality and innovative designs.
H
Hassock
A tightly stuffed, upholstered cushion used as a footstool or seat.
Hepplewhite
An English designer in the18th century who frequently co-operated with the Adams Brothers. He wrote "The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Guide".
Herring Bone
Also known as feather banding. A decorative border of inlay characteristic of furniture of the walnut period. Distinct from crossbanding in that two strips of veneer are laid together at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, forming a herringbone pattern.
Horse hair
Hair cloth used for covering chairs and in its raw form used for upholstery filling.
I
Incised
A pattern or carving produced by cutting into a stone, wood, or other hard surface. (The reverse of relief carving)
Inlay
Form of decoration used in furniture and ceramics, inlay is when part of a solid is removed and replaced with a contrasting material.
Intaglio
A decorative technique in which a design is cut into a hard surface. Intaglio is also the Italian word for carving.
J
Jacobean
Period in English design from 1603 to 1688, characterized by practicality and a tendency toward Baroque. Early American furniture is based on this period. Box-like and architectural in style.
Japanning
Term used for European techniques to imitate designs from the Far East.
Joinery
The craft of assembling woodwork by means of mortise and tenon, dovetail, tongue and groove, dowels, etc. as opposed to using nails or screws.
K
Kneehole Desk
Desk with a solid lower portion but with an opening for the knees of a person seated at it.
L
Lacquer
Oriental varnish obtained from the sap of the lacquer tree. Gave a high-gloss finish to furniture in Europe in the 17th century. Mother-of-pearl, coral, and metals were often inlaid in the lacquer to create a decorative effect.
Linenfold
Used as a panel decoration in the form of linen folds.
Lions Mask
Carved ornamental feature, most often found on the knee of the cabriole leg, also in the form of brass handles.
Lowboy
Chest of drawers mounted on short legs. Usually about three feet high.
Lyre back
Design commonly used on the backs of chairs. A representation of lyre figures carved from wood with brass wires used to represent the strings.
M
Mantel
The projecting shelf surmounting a fireplace.
Maple
Light reddish-brown wood with uniform texture. Grain is usually straight except when different veneers are used.
Marquetry
A flush pattern produced by inserting contrasting materials in a veneered surface. Rare, grained, and coloured woods are usually used, but thin layers of tortoiseshell, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and metals are also seen. If the pattern is of a geometric nature, it is called parquetry.
Medallion
A circular or oval frame having within it an ornamental motif.
Meridienne
Sofa with one arm higher than the other.
Mitre joint
On mouldings, framing a panel, each of the edges being cut at an angle of 45 degrees.
Mother-of-pearl
A term used to reference the hard, iridescent inner lining of certain mollusc shells such as oyster and mussel. Used as a decorative inlay in furniture and objets d'art.
N
Neo-classic
Refers to the second revival of classic design for interior decoration in the 18th century.
Nesting tables
Group of tables, usually three, constructed so that one fits under the other.
O
Occasional table
Generic term for decorative, small tables such as end tables, coffee tables, lamp tables etc.
Ormolu
Derived from French for ground gold, the term refers to gilded bronze or brass mounts.
Ottoman
A low, upholstered seat without backs or arms. Sometimes used as a foot-rest.
Oyster Veneering
A technique indicative of William and Mary furnishings, achieved by slicing the smaller branches of trees such as walnut or olive. These small, rounded veneers, with their circular striations, resemble the inside of an oyster and when pieced together produced a most dramatic effect.
P
Pad foot
Club foot resting on an integral disc.
Parquetry
Inlay of geometric design.
Partner's desk
Desk large enough to seat two people facing each other with working drawers on both sides.
Patera
Round or oval medallion motif frequently incorporating fluting leaves or flower petals in its design. Often carved or inlaid.
Patina
Term used to designate a mellow sheen formed on the surface of furniture, due to wear, age, exposure, and hand-rubbing. Also a film usually greenish, formed on copper or bronze after long exposure.
Pedestal
Tall, narrow base which supports a statue, lamp, vase or any decorative object. Usually treated with mouldings at the top and a base block on the bottom. Without mouldings it is called a plinth.
Pediment
Broad triangular or curved space above a portico, doorway, window or cabinet. Can have segmental, scroll and broken forms.
Pembroke table
A drop-leaf table.
Pier glass
Tall, narrow framed mirror originally placed between two windows to enhance light coming into a room. Often an accompaniment to a low table or consol.
Piecrust
A raised decoration of scalloped form resembling the outer edge of a piecrust - commonly found on tables. Common in 18th-century English tables
Pietre Dure
An Italian phrase which means "hard stones," pietre dure is often used to describe sculptural or decorative use of hard stones. This technique was used to decorate furniture, cameos, vases and decorative panels.
Pilaster
Architectural term for a flattened column attached to a facade for decoration rather than structural support.
Plinth
The low square base of a column; a foundation supporting the body of a piece of furniture.
Poplar
Even-textured and straight-grained wood, it is available in lumber as well as in thin stock suitable for cross-banding and face veneers.
Provincial
Peasant-like and naive in style.
Putti
Cupids or cherubs commonly used as a decorative motif.
Q
Queen Anne
A period in English furniture design from 1702-1714, characterised by adaptation of Baroque and the extensive use of the cabriole leg. Walnut was the dominant wood.
R
Reeding
Raised ornamentation in the style of pipes or reeds found on the legs of chairs and tables. The reverse of fluting.
Relief
Carving or moulding that is raised or left proud from the surface of a piece of furniture.
S
Salon Set
A set of matched furniture for a specific room. May also be known as a suite.
Serpentine Curve
As ‘S’ shaped curve on furniture legs or the shape of the front of a piece of furniture.
Serpentine may also refer to ‘S’ shaped decoration
Shield Back
A chair back in the shape of a shield, Hepplewhite favoured this style in his designs.
Sideboard
A long, large piece of dining room furniture with a flat top. The body is a storage unit with central drawers that may be flanked by cupboards or further drawers.
Splat
The flat central support on a chair back, or between the seat and the top rail
Stretcher
A strengthening or stabilising rail that runs horizontally between legs of furniture. They may be placed to form an X, H or Y pattern
Stringing
A fine line of contrasting decorative inlay
T
Tallboy
A high chest of two sets of drawers with more drawers below than on top. Called a Chest on Chest until the 18th Century
Tortoiseshell
Actually the shell of turtles, a rich brown colour with spotted or striped darker markings, this semi-translucent material is used for inlay and overlay on wood, or on its own held within a frame of precious metal for small boxes & decorative items.
U, V
Veneering
The fixing of a thin layer of fine wood strips to the surface of a piece of furniture constructed from a less expensive type of wood, in order to make it appear as if it is made entirely from the veneer.
Volute
A spiral scroll
