| FURNITURE TERMS AND TECHNIQUES |
| Acorn |
Turned ornament resembling an acorn, common in Jacobean furniture as finials on chair posts and bedposts, as pendants and as the profile of leg turnings in tables |
| Angel Bed |
A bed with a canopy but no front support |
| Apothecary Chest |
A low chest with small drawers originally used to store herbs for medicinal and cooking purposes |
| Applied Ornament |
Applied moldings originating in Spain in the 16th century and were carved or sawed separately and fastened upon the surface |
| Appliqué
|
Applied ornaments such as carvings, turnings, lozenges, etc., which are tacked or glued to a surface rather then cut from the solid wood |
| Apron |
Skirt or rail usually seen under a dining table |
| Arcading |
A form of ornament which reproduced in flat relief, arches, singly or in series, on panels and friezes in use in the 16th and 17th centuries in England and on the Continent of Europe |
| Armoire |
A large movable cupboard or wardrobe, with doors and shelves, for storing clothes. It is thought that early armoires were painted and used for the storage of armour |
| Bail |
A metal ring or hoop forming a handle |
| Baize |
Wool fabric resembling felt (usually green) used on gaming tables |
Baluster
Banister |
A small, slender turned column, usually swelled outward at some point between base and top, sometimes split vertically and used for the uprights of a chair back or for ornament on chests and cupboards, characteristic of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods |
| Banding |
Inlay or marquetry which produces a colour or grain contrasting with the surface it decorates |
| Banquette |
A long upholstered seat or bench, usually built-in |
| Baroque |
A highly ornate decorative style that originated in Italy in the 1600’s. The style is characterized by irregular curves, twisted columns, elaborate scrolls and oversize moldings. The whole tendency of European design in the 17th century was toward exaggeration and over emphasized brilliance. Motion is the essence of the Baroque, large curves, fantastic and irregular, are explosively interpreted, reversed, and ornamented. The twisted columns, distorted and broken pediments and over-sized moldings sacrificed the structural sense to a tremendous theatrical effect |
| Bassinet |
A bed for a baby, originally basket shaped |
| Bed |
A typical bed of 1600 in its simplest form was a timber frame with rope or leather supports. The mattress was a “bag” of soft filling which was most commonly straw and sometimes wool that was covered in plain, cheap fabric |
| Bergère |
An upholstered French arm chair with closed arms, exposed wood frame, wide proportions and a loose seat cushion (squab cushions) |
| Billiard Table |
A French invention of the 14th century that was usually a branch by itself, although sometimes done by regular cabinet-makers |
| Bombe |
A baroque style with bulging convex sides that applied to commodes, bureaus, armoires and low chests |
| Bookcases |
As a piece of domestic furniture their history cannot be carried back beyond the time of Charles II (1630 – 1685)
|
| Boss |
An oval or round ornament applied to a surface |
| Boudoir Pillow |
A small or baby size decorative pillow, usually measuring about 12" x 16" |
| Buffet |
A functional cupboard, usually the bottom part of a china cabinet and placed against the wall for the display of plate and for convenience in serving. It was evolved from the hutch and was probably also known as a cupboard. It usually had three open shelves supported by columns in front and at the back and some of the older ones contain small drawers |
| Bun Foot |
A flattened ball used during the last half of 17th century, sometimes called ball foot |
| Bureau |
A chest of drawers with plain and inlaid surfaces and with flat, swell and serpentine fronts, usually with bracket feet, four drawers and the so-called "willow" brasses |
| Butler’s Tray Table |
A tray with four, flip-up handholds that can be removed from the table legs on which it stands. An oval tabletop is created when the sides are down |
| Cabinet |
These were nearly always in two parts, the upper was usually with doors, which, being opened, disclosed tiers of drawers sometimes built about a central cupboard or pigeon-hole recesses. The lower part was in the form of a table or lowboy. The "press" cabinet had drawers in the lower part, also, and was virtually a cabinet set on a low chest of drawers. Some of the cabinets of the 17th century were ornate specimens of workmanship with inlay of marquetry the leading feature of decoration. Some were of Oriental makes imported from the East |
| Caixa |
Predecessor to the dresser we use today. It was generally given to the bride and groom on their wedding day and used to store their belongings
Bride’s was 3 jewelry drawers behind a single door
Groom’s was a single large drawer across the bottom
|
| Candle Stand |
A portable stand intended to support a candle or lamp and small objects. Made in various styles from the Middle Ages onward, candle stands generally took the form of a very small platform, resting on either four legs or a center column |
| Canapé
|
A type of French settee with padded back and seat, open arms and a decorated frame |
| Canopy |
A fabric covering attached to a frame at the top of bed posts |
| Card Table |
Folding table that originated in late 17th-century England to accommodate the nobility's passion for gambling |
| Carolean |
Also referred to as Restoration or Late Jacobean and was most popular during the late 1600’s. Features of this styling include elaborate deep carving, spiral turning on legs and stretchers, molded paneling, scrolled feet, cane seats and rich tapestries |
| Carving |
Carving was usually done by one of three processes:
Incised or "scratch" in which the design is sharply cut in the surface
Flat where the groundwork is cut out, leaving flat surfaces outward
Modeled in which the design stands out in well-molded relief
|
Chaise Lounge
Fainting Couch |
An elongated chair with a seat long enough to support the sitter's legs, an upholstered back for reclining and of French origin |
| Channeling |
A grooved or furrowed effect |
Checker
Chequer |
A favorite motif in 16th and 17th century inlay in dark and light woods |
| Chests |
The earliest piece of furniture, associated with the life history of all civilized nations, is the chest. During the Tudor and early Jacobean periods, they were paneled and carved. Ornament consisted of carved linenfold or heads within medallions. The chest became a chest with a drawer and raised on low legs in Cromwellian days. The simple chest is, therefore, the parent of many pieces of furniture |
| Chest-on-Chest |
A tall chest composed of one chest of drawers atop and another wider chest of drawers as the base |
| Chiffonier |
A tall, narrow chest of drawers, often for the bedroom |
China Cabinet
China Closet
Court Cupboard |
Cupboard used to store and display china with the top portion fitted with shelves and glazed doors while the lower part was also enclosed with doors but had no glass |
| Chinese |
Chinese art and furniture design heavily influenced European furniture periods, particularly during the 1500’s through the 1800’s. All Chinese furniture is lacquered and usually features relief carving for decoration. Most pieces are small and simple and rely on decorative details for their beauty |
| Chinoiserie |
French term for things patterned after the Chinese manner including lacquered and/or painted decoration which grew out of Europe's fascination with the Orient in the 17th - 19th Centuries |
Coffer
Coffre |
A strongbox for holding valuables |
| Commode |
Small, low chest with doors and drawers on legs |
| Couch |
A 17th and 18th century term for a daybed or chaise lounge |
| Credenza |
Serving table with a cupboard below the surface and in the 16th century, an upper, recessed tier was added |
Day Bed
Lit a Repose |
Resting bed composed by one single piece with six or eight scroll or turned legs, carved stretchers and a head-rest that was frequently adjustable, also known as settee and stretcher bed |
| Desk |
In the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, a box with a slant top, usually plain, sometimes carved, set on a table, for holding writing materials. Some of them had the owner's name and a date carved upon them, perhaps with a lock for safe keeping of money, wills, etc. In the 17th century the box and table were combined in one piece and often referred to as a scrutoir |
| Dished Corner |
A table corner, usually a card table, slightly hollowed out, to hold a candlestick or for game counters |
| Divan |
Upholstered couch without arms or back |
| Document Drawer |
Small vertical drawers, often ornamented, in desk cabinets, usually found one on each side of the central compartment in the interior or writing section |
| Dough Table |
An early form of table for storing flour and dough with the top serving as a dough board. These tables were oblong in shape and from three to five feet long with turned legs which spread outward to support a bin at each corner, which was made with sloping sides. The top lifted off, which gave access to the bin |
| Down |
Feathers used to fill cushions of upholstery, which trap air to provide comfort |
| Dresing Glass |
Wood-framed tilting mirror, usually mounted atop a miniature chest with one or more tiers of drawers |
| Dutch Renaissance |
This style is square, solid and heavy, with straight lines as a rule and most popular from 1500’s – 1600’s. Chairs are characterized by turned legs, straight stretchers and straight low backs. Carvings are the main form of decoration featuring foliated ornamentation and scrollwork. Seats were often covered in leather with large brass nails |
| Embossing |
Manufacturing technique which imitates carving by compressing the wood around what is to be raised, decorative area |
| Escritoire |
A cabinet with a fall front that lowers to form a writing surface |
| Escutcheon |
The shaped metal fitting behind a drawer pull or surrounding a keyhole |
| Faldstool |
A folding stool not unlike a camp stool, a common type of early seat |
| Fall Front |
The falling front of a desk or bureau |
| Fauteuil |
An upholstered armchair of French origin with open sides under the arms |
| Figuring |
A pattern made by the natural grain of wood |
| Finial |
A turned or carved piece which is the upper end of a post |
| Flare |
The outward concave curve of a furniture leg |
| Flemish Foot |
Used on Jacobean furniture with one scroll turning in, the other turning out |
| Flemish Scroll |
A baroque form of the 16th and 17th centuries with the curve broken by an angle |
Flutes
Fluting |
A series of semi-circular ornamental grooves which terminate before the end of a post or leg usually found on columns, molding or wooden legs |
| Fretwork |
Interlaced or pierced decorative trim on furniture |
| Four Poster |
A bed with posts tall enough to hold a canopy |
| Game Table |
One of the earliest "specialized" tables, this was developed for games, such as dice, cards, chess, backgammon, etc |
| Gadroon |
A carved and curved fluted or ruffle ornament for edges, both concave and convex, characteristic of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods |
Gate-Legged Tables
Hundred-Leg Table |
This table dates from the Jacobean period and it was the first table to have the drop-leaf. The early tables had spiral twisted legs, of which there were usually six stationary upon the middle section of the table and one or two on each side which swung out to hold up the drop-leaves, never exceeding twelve. Tops were square, round, oblong or oval |
| Gilding |
Coating with a thin layer of gold or a substance resembling gold |
| Guillocihe |
An ornament in the form of two or more bands or strings, twisted in a continued series, which produce circular openings and was carved, painted or inlaid |
| Headboard |
An upright structure rising above the mattress at the head of the bed |
| Huntboard |
A type of sideboard used for serving food and drinks after a hunt. Designed to be light and portable so it could be moved outdoors |
| Inlay |
Designs formed in wood through the contrast of grains, colors and textures of wood, metal, ivory, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, etc., inserted flush into the wood |
| Intaglio |
A design or illustration cut into a surface |
| Intarsia |
Similar to inlay, a decorative technique of sinking a design into a solid wood surface |
Jocobean Period
(1603-1688) |
Includes:
Jacobean Period (proper) 1603 to 1649
Cromwellian period 1649 to 1660
Carolean period 1660 to 1688
The furniture of the early Jacobean period retained the general characteristics of the preceding periods but Flemish and Dutch arts and manufactures were influential in forming what is known as the Jacobean style. Furniture was stout and staunch, even to clumsiness, severe in form and line and replete with ornament with a dark finish, much of which was discontinued during the Cromwellian days. The characteristic chair of early 17th century was the wainscot chair with a cresting across the top. At the time of the Commonwealth, chairs with spirally turned legs and low, open backs appeared with either caning or vertical balusters or slats with bun or ball feet with under-bracing. It was not until after the Restoration in 1660 that chairs became the usual seat at the table for meals. At the end of the Carolean period, chairs with Flemish "C" and "S" scrolled legs, stretchers and top rail were common. Tables, in considerable variety, appeared notably the gate-legged type. The cupboard in different sizes and for a variety of purposes was a favourite piece of furniture during the last half of the century being an article of both convenience and ceremony
|
| Lacquer |
A hard, protective varnish that is applied as a topcoat to furniture |
| Lattice |
Carved crisscross pattern in cutout or pierced work, found in chair backs, highboy pediments, etc |
| Laureling |
Derived from the laurel leaf, it was a common motif for carving on rails, friezes and posts in cabinet work, in the 17th century |
| Leather |
Leather for chair backs was introduced into England about 1645. It had been much used in Spain and other parts of Europe before that time for wall covering as well as for furniture. Spanish leather was embossed and polychromed by an art brought into Spain by the Moors. Cordovan leather, famous in all parts of Europe, was a flourishing industry in Spain during the 17th century |
| Louis XIV |
A distinctly elegant style characterized by massive furniture, rich textiles and ornaments created and popularized by Le Brun, Boulle and Mansart from 1643 – 1715, sometimes called Louis Quartorze. Boulle was made "ebeniste" and devoted himself to designing furniture for the king and his courtiers. The greatest artists and craftsmen were employed, quartered in the Louvre and the furniture they made was sumptuous in the extreme. All of the chairs of this period were instinct with dignity; the same may be said of the canapes or sofas. Legs of tables were straight and tapering or with cabriole curve and they were connected with saltire stretchers. Bedsteads were imposing pieces of furniture with highly ornate posts, testers and curtains. The structural lines of consoles, cabinets, bureaus and other furniture were almost invariably rectilinear. Much carving and gilding was in vogue, and tortoiseshell veneer with metal added to the enrichment. Lacquering was extensively practiced, also painting, inlaying and marquetry were favorite forms of decoration while Lyons velvets, brocades and tapestry were used for upholstery. The shell motif is found everywhere on the furniture of this period |
| Lozenge |
A diamond-shaped decorative motif introduced about 1600 |
| Lunette |
Decoration (panel, overlay, motif, etc.) shaped like a half-moon |
| Lyre |
Harplike stringed instrument used as a decorative motif for chair backs, table pedestals, etc |
| Mantel |
The shelf above a fireplace, the term is also commonly used to refer to the decorative trim around a fireplace opening |
| Marquetry |
An inlay, generally of wood or ivory, arranged in a distinctive pattern |
| Medallion |
A round, oval, or rectangular ornament, usually carved, etched, or stamped and applied near the junction of two members such as chair legs where the stretchers join them |
| Mitre |
The mitre is employed in the moldings of paneled and other work in furniture. It is cut obliquely to form an angle and first came into use about 1600 |
| Motif |
A decorative theme, element or component |
| Mule Chest |
A chest with drawers in the base, the forerunner of the chest-of-drawers |
Muntons
Muntins
Muttons
Mutons |
Dividers over glass panels in windows and china cabinets |
| Night Stand |
A small, low table or cabinet with drawers that sits by a bed |
| Nonesuch Chests |
A chest with marquetry designs in coloured woods named for the palace of Nonesuch, built by Henry VIII, which the outlines of the ornamentation are supposed to represent |
| Occasional Table |
A generic term for small pieces like end and coffee tables |
| Ogee |
A decorative S-shaped molding |
| Ottoman |
A low, upholstered, stuffed seat without arms or back, first used in Turkey |
| Paper Mache |
A paper pulp mixed with glue, chalk and sometimes fine sand brought to France from China between 1610 and 1620. It was pressed, molded and baked so hard it could be sawed and took a high polish readily |
| Pedestal Table |
A table supported by a single, center base |
| Pendants |
A hanging form of ornament, generally used in the Jacobean period to embellish posts or stiles that was derived from the Moors in Spain |
| Pilaster |
A flattened column-like detail applied to furniture, bookcases, etc. for decorative purposes |
| Pipe Rack |
Various styles were made for the accommodation of the clay pipes with long stems in vogue in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some were vertical in form, others horizontal, all with spaces for several pipes and for the spill holders |
| Plinth |
The base of a chest of column that rests solidly on the floor, as opposed to sitting on legs |
| Quatrefoil |
An ornamental figure, which is divided into four foils, leaves or lobes to look like a four-leaf clover |
| Rail |
The horizontal member running across the top of a chair back |
| Recliner Chair |
Essentially, it was a reclining wing chair with a high back that could be raised or lowered by means of a rod across the back. It also had deep wings, attached to the back at right angles, which would also incline with the back. The wings provided both a headrest for the sleeper and a draught excluder as well |
| Refractory Table |
A narrow long table design that was originally used in the dining rooms of religious orders |
| Renaissance Style |
This furniture design movement began in Italy in the 13th century and continued through the 17th century (1450–1650). In France, the styles from the beginning of the 16th century to the middle of the 17th (Louis XIV) show a rapid assimilation of Italian design coupled with French ideas. It often featured ornamentation inspired by Michelangelo and Raphael. The furniture is true to the purpose of the piece and often incorporates mythological or biblical figures as well as honeysuckle, acanthus, bead molding, rosettes, medallions, etc. Chairs were more commonly used; the four-posted bedstead took the place of the paneled recess with much of the upholstery was largely of crimson velvet with gold fringe |
| Rush Seat Chair |
Traditionally a French chair a seat woven with a series of rushes |
| Sconces |
The earliest type of wooden sconce as a support for candles and dates from the middle of the 17th century |
| Scroll Arm |
Chair arm which terminates in a scroll |
| Scroll Foot |
Curved foot which is not fully articulated with the block above |
| Secret Drawer |
Small, hidden compartment in a bureau, desk, etc. for concealing small valuables or papers |
| Semainier |
Tall, narrow chest or chiffonier with six or seven drawers (the name derives from the French for "seven") designed for storing a supply of personal linen for each day of the week |
| Settee |
A long seat or bench with a back and arms seating two or more people, originally popular in the late 1600’s and was often upholstered and predates the sofa |
| Shellac |
A resinous varnish obtained from the lac insect and used in japanning |
| Shoji Screen |
A freestanding Oriental style screen often used as a room divider |
| Sideboard |
A serving table or buffet in the dining room often used to hold food ready for serving. It can be relatively small with a fold-out top for more surface space, or simply be long and narrow |
| Side Chair |
Small-scale, armless chair, designed to stand against a wall when not in use |
| Slat-Back Chairs |
Chairs made with two to five and sometimes, although seldom, six horizontal slats across the back that usually curved outward. The slats are graduated in width with the narrowest at the bottom. The upper slat in the 17th century was sometimes five inches wide and the upper and lower edges of all the slats were flat. The seats were of rush or splint with or without arms |
| Spanish Chair |
A chair of the Carolean period, with the Spanish foot, turned legs and carved under-brace. The seat and tall narrow back are covered with Spanish leather |
| Spanish Renaissance |
Style during the 1500’s to 1700’s, which had a strong Moorish influence. Features of this style include elaborately carved wood surfaces, inlays in Moorish patterns and large ornate brass nails or studding. Bright red or green leather was typically used for upholstery |
| Staining |
Furniture finishing step of applying colored dyes which penetrate into the wood |
| Stool |
Both fixed and folding stools were low and square, some with low backs, some without, minimum number of legs was 4 and sometimes latticed but always with the x-stretcher |
| Stretcher |
The supports under chairs and tables that are attached to the legs for strength. Another form known as saltire was connected to the four legs in X-shape. Doubtless, one important use of the stretcher in early times was to rest the feet upon, to keep them from the cold and often dirty floors |
| Table |
The rectangular tables of the Jacobean period had heavy legs, turned in vase or baluster forms with stretchers at the bottom and skirting beneath the top with considerable overhang to the top |
| Table Chair |
This was a combination of a chair (settle) and table, the top (or back) turning on a pin at the point where the arms joined the back posts and formed the table top when turned down flat. They were at first made with a square top, later with round top, and sometimes were made with a chest beneath the seat |
| Tea Table |
A small portable table, frequently used in place of a coffee table. The table top often had raised edges resembling a tray and side pullouts for candles |
Tester
Testiere |
The frame for holding the canopy of a high-post bedstead |
| Trenchers |
Wooden platters and pewter plates used in the 16th and 17th centuries |
Truckle Bed
Trundle Bed |
A small low bed, which could be pushed under the larger bed when not in use. A relic of the days when every nobleman needed a faithful and armed guard to sleep at his feet all night |
| Under-Brace |
Another name for stretcher on furniture |
| Wainscot Chair |
Early jointed chair with a solid paneled back, open arms, and wood seat. The back was vertical and carved in the same pattern, usually, as the chests and cupboards of the period. The seat was often made more comfortable by the use of cushions. The earlier or Elizabethan chairs had a cresting between the stiles of the back and a finial at the summit of the stiles, horizontal arms and square seats. In the Jacobean period the cresting consisted of the Flemish scroll across the entire top, the arms began to slope downward and to spread outward, and the seat was wider at the front than at the back |
| Welt |
A fabric-covered cord which is sewn into the seam as decorative trim |
Wing Chair
Wing-Back Chair |
A large, comfortable, high-backed upholstered lounge chair with wings projecting forward extending down to the arms which were made with a scroll or straight turnover first appearing about the middle of Charles II’s reign. The wings were originally designed to protect a sitter from drafts. The feet and legs were varied designs with stretchers sometimes being used |
| Writing Desk |
Flat-top desk or table sized for writing usually fitted with drawers or compartments for holding writing materials |
| Wrought Iron |
A commercial form of iron which is tough, malleable, and relatively soft |
| X-Shaped Chair |
A frame of wood in X shape, with a fabric seat and back. They were of the Tudor period in England, derived from the Italian, and sometimes called "curule" after an early Roman chair
|
