N NAIL HEADS The decoratively exposed heads of nails. Particularly seen in leather upholstered furniture.
NAP 1) A fabric with a texture or design that runs on one direction such as corduroy and velvet. A fabric with a nap will often look different when viewed from various directions. When using a fabric with a nap, all pieces must be cut and sewn together so the nap runs in only one direction. 2) A fuzzy or downy surface, as on leather or fabric.
NAPOLEON III Reigned in France from from 1848 – 1870 during the period called the Second Empire. Period of resurrection of many previous furniture styles most notably Renaissance, Rococo and Louis XVI styles. Furniture ornament during this period was rich and often exuberant, taking many forms and using variety of materials and techniques such as the imitation of Boulle marquetry and the use of dark woods like ebony. Widespread production of papier-mâché accessories often inset with mother of pearl.
NEOCLASSIC (NEOCLASSICISM) or Neo-Classic Term used for any of several revivals of interest in ancient styles, such as the Renaissance and Empire styles. Design featuring elegance and simplicity, with motifs borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome. Commonly refers to the second revival of classic design for interior decoration in the 18th century.
NEOROCOCO or Neo-Rococo A revival of the Rococo style which emphasized even greater embellishment and decoration.
NEST OF DRAWERS A number of small drawers or boxes contained in a case; a diminutive chest of drawers.
NESTING TABLES or Nest of Tables Set of occasional tables, usually three, in graduating sizes so that one slides under another.
NICHE A recessed or hollow space in a wall, intended to hold a statue or ornament.
O OAK Popular wood for country and provincial furniture. Oak has a strong grain that darkens with age.
OBELISK Tall, square stone monumental shaft with pyramidal top used in ancient Egypt. The form, on a small scale in alabaster, is used as a decorative ornament in Directoire, Empire and contemporary interiors.
OCCASIONAL TABLE A generic term for small tables like end and tilt tables.
OEBEN Jean-Francois Oeben (1715-1763). Notable French furniture maker who worked between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles.
OGEE 1) A molding with a cyma or “S” shaped profile. 2) A pointed arch that has a reversed curve on each side near the apex. 3) A term used to describe an “S” shaped double curve, particularly those on bracket feet as used on first class mid-18th century furniture. 4) A continuous double curve in the shape of an “S”, referred to by Hogarth as ‘the line of beauty’; used for moldings. If concave above and convex below, called an ogee molding, or cyma recta; if convex above and concave below, a reverse ogee molding, or cyma reversa.
OGEE BRACKET FOOT An ogee shaped foot that wraps around two sides of a piece of case furniture.
OGEE-CROSS SPLAT Open back chair splat composed of two conjoining ogee curved elements.
ONION FOOT An oval, bulbous
foot suggesting a somewhat flattened onion.
OPENWORK Work constructed so as to show openings through its substance (such as by perforations or piercings). See also Fretwork.
ORDERS Term referring to standardized ornamental types of columns, based on ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The three Greek orders are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The five Roman orders are the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite.
ORIENTAL RUG Luxurious
richly colored and highly patterned hand woven or hand knotted rugs, originally native to the Middle or Far East.
ORMOLU From the French moule, “ground gold”; powdered gold used to decorate bronze, or other metal, furniture mounts; also refers to the mounts themselves. The term is often used to refer to cast hand-chased mounts of gold or gilded brass or bronze which were enhanced by mercury-gilding and applied to furniture or art objects. Ormolu mounts and objects d'art were all the rage in French society of the 18th century, reaching a high water mark under the Imperial regime. The ornamentation continued to be made and reproduced throughout the 19th century. Although the English produced ormolu, it was never as fine as the best French products and ormolu is practically synonymous with French style furniture. Ormolu is also known as gilt-bronze, bronze doré or doré bronze.
OS DE MOUTON (French) Literally, "mutton bone." Refers to the sinuous stretchers in Louis XIV furniture.
OTTOMAN Turkish influenced upholstered seat without arms or back. Often used as a footstool.
OVAL BACK Chair in which the back is shaped like an oval.
OVERLAY A decorative trim or appliqué (often of wood or veneer) applied to a flat surface rather than inlaid. Sometimes called Onlay.
OVOLO A rounded convex classical ornament usually shaped like a quarter circle. When adorned with egg-and-dart molding, it is called echinus.
OVOLO MOLDING Classical convex molding consisting of repeated oval shapes. Much used in the 14th and 15th century, it enjoyed a revival in Victorian England. The opposite of cavetto molding.
OYSTER VENEER Late 17th and early 18th century veneer, made from symmetrically arranged cross-sections of small branches or roots from trees such as walnut, olive, laburnum and kingwood. The name comes from the resultant patter of the grain, which resembles oyster shells. Primarily a Dutch decorative technique.
OYSTERING Veneer showing cross-sectional grain in irregular concentric rings, resembling the shape and markings of oyster shells.
P PAD FOOT Club foot resting on an integral disc.
PALMETTE Fan-shaped pattern derived from the shape of a palm-tree frond. Neoclassical motif.
PANETIERE (French) Provençial piece of furniture, originally from Arles, that was used to store bread. Was hung on the wall or placed on top of a pétrin. Has turned spindles, hand carved ornamentation, and finials.
PAPIER MACHE Technique using sand, chalk, size and paper pulp molded while wet into decorative forms and furniture. Popular during the Napoléon III period and in 19th century Europe and America.
PARAVENT (French) Folding screen.
PARQUETRY Form of marquetry based on a repeated geometric pattern worked in contrasting woods. Similar to Marquetry, but the patterns formed are geometrical only (marquetry designs may be flowers, birds, leaves and the design is generally more pictorial in shape).
PARTNER’S DESK Desk large enough to set two people facing each other with working drawers on both sides.
PASSEMENTERIE Fancy edgings or trims that emphasize the shape of the curtain, such as fringe, tassels, braid, and ruffles.
PATERA Round or oval medallion motif widely used ornamentally usually embossed and decorating a frieze; frequently incorporating fluting, leaves, stylized flowers or rosettes in its design. Often carved, but also painted or inlaid into Neoclassical furniture.
PATINA Term used to designate the color, texture and accumulations that collect on a surface produced by age, wear, exposure and hand-rubbing. In wood furniture the finish tends to deepen and become more lustrous. Edges are worn smooth and sharp outlines are softened. Also a film, usually greenish, formed on copper or bronze after long exposure.
PAW FOOT Leg terminal in the shape of an animal’s paw. Originating in ancient Egypt, and used as well in classical Greece and Rome, this form enjoyed a revival from the late 17th century to the end of the 19th century. A variation is the hairy-paw foot. This is another style of foot used with the cabriole leg on chairs and tables of the mid-18th century.
PEAR-DROP HANDLE A small brass drop used on early chests of drawers of the late 17th and early 18th century.
PEDESTAL A floor standing column designed to hold art objects.
PEDESTAL TABLE A table supported by a center base of one or more heavy, wide based columns rather than four legs.
PEDIMENT 1) An ornamental, typically triangular (straight or curving lines), crown on case furniture such as bureau bookcases, high cabinets and secretaries. 2) An architectural term for the triangular end on a roof. See also Bonnet Top.
PEG A wooden dowel used like a nail to hold furniture parts together. The ends were sometimes left exposed to create decorative interest.
PEG TOP FOOT A style of foot often used on late 18th century chairs and on some Victorian chairs: the leg ends in a small rounded peg, often jutting out slightly from the foot.
PENCIL-POST BED Bed with four tall, slim ("pencil thin") posts. The design is generally simple and straight lined. Used alone or with a canopy.
PENDANT A hanging ornament. Particularly often used in the late Gothic period.
PETIT-POINT Small-stitch embroidery, which is worked on a single thread net, covering the entire surface. Term usually applies when there are more than 256 stitches to the square inch.
PETRIN (French) Coffer type piece of furniture on four legs with top that lifts up or off. Was used to store flour or to put dough inside to rise.
PEWTER An alloy comprised of tin and lead which has a dull gray appearance and is used in the making of tableware and ornaments. Originally, it was intended as a subsitute for silver but its value diminished in the 17th Century with the advent of chinaware for everyday use.
PICKLED FINISH Cloudy white patina over light wood, originally produced by using vinegar to remove the plaster base of the painted wood. Now created by rubbing white paint into previously stained and finished wood.
PIE CRUST TABLE Small, usually round, table whose edge is carved or molded in a scalloped pattern that resembles the crimped edge of a piecrust.
PIED DE BICHE Deer feet, typically found at the base of the cabriole legs in Regence and Louis XV furniture.
PIERCING Carved or cutout decorative detail seen in chair splats and other 18th century furniture.
PIER-GLASS A tall, narrow mirror with a frame hung in a narrow space such as between windows to enhance light coming into a room. An accompaniment hung over a pier-table or commode in the 17th century.
PIER TABLE A table designed to stand against a pier, that section of a wall between two windows or doors, usually beneath a pier glass.
PIETRE DURE Form of decorative work using a variety of semiprecious stones perfected in Italy in the 16th century; if only a single type of stone is used, it is correctly called pietra dura. This method proved costly so a cheaper imitation, Scagliola, was often used.
PIGMENTING Coloring and coating wood or leather to improve the color cover imperfections and make the surface more resistant to wear and tear.
PILASTER Architectural term for a slender, rectangular architectural feature, usually attached to a façade and designed to resemble a column, but attached to the wall instead of free standing. Used for decoration rather than structural support.
PILE A fabric with a surface of upright ends, cut or looped, like velvet.
PINE Softwood used for making less expensive furniture and often for the frames and carcasses of more expensive pieces.
PLINTH 1) A square of decorative wood installed at the corners of a window frame. 2) The base of a chest of column that rests solidly on the floor, as opposed to sitting on legs.
POINCON Punched silver hallmarks on French silver.
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.
PORCELAIN A hard, non-porous pottery. True porcelain is made of kaolin or china clay.
PORTEMANTEAU (French) Literally, "holds coats." Coat and hat rack or hall tree.
PORTE-PARAPLUIES (French) Literally, "holds umbrellas." Umbrella stand.
PORPHYRY Rock substance composed of quartz crystals, used during the reign of Louis XVI mainly for table tops.
POUDREUSE Piece of occasional furniture that come into use at the end of the Louis XVI period. Usually a small table with a mirrored lid in the center which lifted to reveal a compartment for toiletries.
PREMIERE PARTIE 17th century French marquetry in which a pattern of brass and pewter is set on a base of tortoiseshell. The opposite is called "Contre Partie". The greatest artist in creating furniture with these techniques was André-Charles Boulle.
PRIE-DIEU (French) Literally, "prays God." A late 18th century, but commonly 19th century low-seated armless chair with a high back and wide top-rail on which to rest a prayer book. Used as a kneeler for prayer. Often upholstered with Berlin woodwork.
PROVINCIAL Countrified versions of formal 17th and 18th century court furnishings produced in various provinces of Europe. The furniture of each region bears its own characteristic signature (e.g., French Provincial).
PURE ANILINE LEATHER Premium select, full, top grain leather that has been dyed with aniline dyes. The dye thoroughly permeates the high quality hide, resulting in a rich color.
PUTTI A young boy, commonly seen in Italian painting and sculpture.
Q QUADRANT 1) A metal pivot allowing a desk flap to move through a quarter of a circle only. 2) A quarter circle shaped bracket used to support drop fronts.
QUARTERED Describes boards cut from a log that has been cut into four quarters through the center, and then into parallel boards. Produces a distinctive grain.
QUATREFOIL Gothic decoration consisting of a conventionalized four-leaf clover enclosed in a circle.
QUIRK A narrow groove molding, sunken fillet, or channel.
R RABBET 1) Rectangular slot or groove in joinery. 2) A recess in the meeting stiles of cabinet doors so that when one shuts against the other it forms a dustproof joint.
RAIL A horizontal piece in the framework of a chair such as a seat-rail meant to support vertical members.
RAILROADING Uses fabric horizontally. Fabric without a nap or a directional design can be railroaded easily. Provides method to avoid seams in long lengths of fabric (as in dust ruffles).
RAILS The horizontal members of framed furniture, e.g., the long sidepieces of beds or the side framing in casework.
RAKE The angling of a slanted or splayed member, such as a chair back or a table leg, which is not strictly vertical.
RANDOM JOINTS Joints in a surface (e.g., veneer) in which there is no attempt at matching either grain or width of boards.
RATTAN A climbing palm, remarkable for the great length attained by its stems. Commonly used for wickerwork, seats of chairs, walking sticks, etc.
REBATE JOINT Formed by cutting a groove, wedge or, most commonly, rectangular section along the edge of one piece of wood and fitting it with another, matching piece of wood; can be glued or nailed. Used in cheaper furniture. Also known as a rabbet joint.
RECAMIER Chaise lounge shaped like an ancient Roman bed or reclining couch, with one gracefully curved end higher than the other popular in the Empire and Victorian eras. Named after Madame Recamier, a society hostess of the early 19th Century. Sometimes called fainting couches, Recamiers have a sloping back not much higher than the seat at one end, with the other end rising to meet a high and often rolled, arm.
RECESSED STRETCHER Middle or cross stretcher that is set back from the front legs.
REEDING A form of ornament resembling that used on classical columns; very popular for chair and table legs during the later 18th century. Reeding is the relief line on either side of a scooped-out channel, these channels are called 'fluting'; they run together in close parallels, divided by the 'reeding'.
REFECTORY TABLE A long and narrow table having stretchers close to the floor. These were used in monasteries for the monks to take their meals while seated on one side only of the table. American antique dealers often refer to the French draw leaf table as a refectory table as well.
REGENCY or Regence The Regency or Régence Period in France is named for the regency of Philippe II, duc d'Orleans, which covered the end of Louis XIV’s reign until the accession of Louis XV (about 1715-1725). This is a transitional style that moves from massive straight lines to the gracious, curved, intimate style of Louis XV or Rococo. Characteristics are graceful curves, the cabriole leg, and ornamentation copied from nature rather than mythology. Bright veneers of rosewood and satinwood were widely used.
REGULE Tin-rich alloy usually containing some antimony, some copper, and sometimes some lead. Used in the 19th century to cast figures that were finished with a bronze coating to resemble their more expensive counterparts cast of solid bronze.
RELIEF Ornament or sculpture in which the forms of molded, carved or stamped decoration are raised or above the background. Various styles are characterized by high or low relief carving. See also Bas Relief, Haut Relief. Contrast Incised.
RENAISSANCE Renaissance is Latin for "rebirth." Term for the period (1400-1700) when, beginning in Italy, classic Greco-Roman art and architectural became the inspiration for rebirth of classical furniture styles and eventually supplanted the Gothic style throughout Europe.
REPEAT How often the pattern is duplicated at intervals down a fabric or wall covering. One repeat is one full pattern.
REPLICA An exact reproduction or copy of a piece of furniture, usually of an old or historic period. Accurately copied from the original in all details of material, technique, detail, and finish (with or without a reproduced patina and other marks of wear).
REPOUSSE Decorative sheet metal work in which the raised design is created by hammering from the back. Formed in relief.
REPOUSSE (French) Literally, "pushed out." A term for the method of making a design in relief in metalwork, commonly brass, by hammering from behind so that the decoration projects outward.
REPRODUCTION A furniture "reproduction" is a copy of a piece in some historic style. High quality reproductions are replicas of the original piece. Commercial adaptations that that do not regard the original materials or techniques may sometimes be called reproductions, but they are lower quality.
RESTORATION or Restauration Period in Neo-classic design between the years of 1815 and 1830 under Louis XVIII (1815-23) and Charles X (1823-30). Similar to Empire style but with smaller dimensions and more restrained ornamentation.
RETURN MOLD A molding running from the front to the rear of a cabinet.
RIBAND Ornament resembling a ribbon.
RIESENER Jean-Henri Riesener (1734-1806). French Louis XVI style furniture maker whose style fluctuated from rococo to plain.
RINCEAU Ornament consisting of a continuous spiral or wave. Sometimes called a branching scrolll when intertwined with stems and leaves.
RING HANDLE A brass circle commonly used on drawers of the later 18th century.
RISING STRETCHER A serpentine or X-stretcher which curves up toward the intersection.
ROCAILLE Rococo form of decoration characteristic of the genre pittoresque using abstract shell-and rockwork in its design.
ROCKER or Rocking Chair A chair mounted on curved blades that permit it to rock back and forth. This uniquely American piece of furniture was developed in the Colonial period.
ROCOCO Period in French design originating in the 18th century after Baroque. It was also popular in England in the mid 18th century. Asymmetrical, and noted for its ornate decoration, its prominent motifs were based on natural forms including florid curves, flowers, fruit, leaves, shells, and rocks (rocaille) from which its name is derived. Associated with Louis XV.
ROCOCO REVIVAL An especially florid Victorian style popular from the 1850s-70s, best known for elaborately carved rosewood parlor furniture, triple crested sofas and balloon-backed chairs.
ROLL TOP In desks, a tambour or flexible cylindrical hood drawn down as a lid.
ROMAYNE WORK Medallions carved to resemble human heads.
ROPE MOLD Decorative quarter or half round molding, spiral-channeled to simulate a rope.
ROSETTE Ornamental motif; patera or ornament in the shape of a star or rose.
ROTARY CUT Method of slicing wood for veneer in which the log is cut so that it resembles paper coming off a roll.
ROUNDABOUT CHAIR A chair with a rectangular seat placed on the diagonal and a circular back rail supported by three uprights, usually extensions of the back and side legs. Designed to fit snugly into a corner.
ROUNDEL Any ornamental disk or motif enclosed in a circular shape, such as a rosette, medallion, patera, etc.
ROUTING Decorative grooves or engraved lines made by running a revolving awl along a surface.
RUCHING Extremely tight gathers used as a decorative top finish to a panel.
RULE JOINT Hinged joint, such as on a drop leaf, which leaves no open space when the leaf is down.
RUNNER 1) The "rocker" (blade) of a rocking chair. 2) A guide strip onto which a grooved drawer bottom fits.
RUNNING DOG See Vitruvian Scroll.
RUSH Marsh or sea grass (particularly of the genera Juncus and Scirpus) with cylindrical, often hollow stems, which are used in bottoming chairs and plaiting mats. See Also Rush Seat and Rush Seat Chair.
RUSH SEAT A woven seat where either natural cattail leaf rush, bulrush or man-made paper fiber rush is woven around the four seat rungs or dowels, forming four distinct triangles in the seat pattern.
RUSH-SEAT CHAIR A French Provincial chair originally made of native woods with a woven rush seat. This design is frequently adapted.
S “S” SCROLL A scroll carved in the form of the letter S.
SABOT (French) metal "shoe," protective as well as ornamental, on the feet of a piece of furniture.
SABRE LEG Chair or sofa leg curved inward in the shape of a ‘saber’ or scimitar, either round or square sectioned, and gently tapering to the ground. Used on the Greek klismos and revived on 18th and 19th century seat furniture. The typical leg used on furniture of the English Regency period.
SADDLE Describes a chair seat in which the sides and back are scooped away from a central ridge, resembling the pommel of a saddle. Often seen in Windsor chairs.
SALON SET A complet set of match furniture for a specific room. Also called a salon suite.
SALTIRE See X-stretcher.
SATINWOOD A bright, righ golden-yellow wood, very hard in texture. Usually from Brazil but also grown in southern India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
SARCOPHAGUS A rectangular, coffin-shaped box tapered to a smaller size at the bottom. Used as a cellaret or tea caddy, etc.
SARREGUEMINES A French faience that produced Majolica.
SASH BARS Metal or wooden framework, which holds glass panels in cabinet doors.
SATURATION Term referring to the intensity or depth (lightness/darkness) of a color.
SAVONAROLA CHAIL X-shaped chair of the Italian Renaissance that had interlacing curved slats and a wooden back and was either carved or incorporated inlaid designs.
SAVONNERIE Hand-knotted carpet with a soft and deep pile woven in France of fine quality selected yarns. The patterns are usually 18th Century Frenh in design.
SAWBUCK Table frame or base with X-shaped supports.
SCALE Refers to the size of objects in relation to one another and to the human body. In decorating, good scale is the result of eye pleasing relationships between furnishings and other objects and the space they are used in.
SCALLOP Ornament resembling a scallop shell. Also See Scallop Shell.
SCALLOP SHELL A very popular decorative motif for furniture, silver, etc. during the first half of the 18th century; often seen on the knees of cabriole legs of the period.
SCISSORS CHAIR An X-shaped chair which resembles a pair of scissors.
SCONCE A bracketed lighting fixture that is attached to a wall with one or more branches comprising a decorative, often reflective, backplate and candleholders. One of the earliest light fixture forms for domestic and public uses, sconces first appeared in classical antiquity. Carved wooden sconces can be painted or gilt and metal ones are made of wrought iron or bronze that patina with age. Sconces became very fashionable from the late 17th century. Rococo versions are often called girandoles and were sometimes heavily ornamented with crystals.
SCOOP SEAT A dipped or dropped seat in which the front rail is slightly concave to fit the body.
SCOTIA A quarter round concave molding. The reverse of an astragal molding.
SCREEN TABLE A small fireside table that becomes a fire screen when its top is turned down.
SCROLL Spiral-shaped ornamentation resembling a partly unrolled sheet of paper or having a spiral or coiled form.
SCROLL ARM Chair arm that terminates in a scroll.
SCROLL FOOT Curved foot that is not fully articulated with the block above, such as in a cabriole leg. A foot in the shape of a carved scroll, fashionable on mid-18th century chair legs in France and England.
SCROLL TOP Broken pediment formed by two cyma curves. See also Gooseneck.
SCRUTOIRE An enclosed writing cabinet or table; also called escritoire.
SECRET DRAWER Small, hidden compartment in a bureau, desk, etc. for concealing small valuables or papers.
SECRETAIRE 18th century writing desk usually with a drop-front and drawers hidden by the writing surface. In England and America it is known as a secretary.
SECRETAIRE A ABATTANT Tall French writing-desk, the top part of which resembles an armoire, having a door at its base. The top is often flap-fronted to provide a large writing surface when open.
SECRETARY A closed desk, usually with base of drawers, usually with cubbyholes and slots for organizing papers, a bookcase above and bonnet tops reflecting their 18th century origins. Also called a secretaire. (Sometimes called a bureau in Europe.)
SECRETARY DESK See Secretary, Secretaire and Secretaire A Abattant.
SEDAN CHAIR An enclosed chair which was carried by four men; used for transportation in the 18th Century.
SELVAGE The selvage edges of fabric are the finished sides of the lengthwise grain.
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.
SERPENTINE In the form of an undulating curve.
SERPENTINE FRONT Chest, dresser, etc. with waving or undulating surface, resembling a snake's movement. Term applies to both decoration and design (a serpentine, front cabinet, for example, has a convex center and concave ends). Characteristic of various French styles.
SERVING TABLE Dining room side table with drawers for storing silverware, linens, etc.
SEAWEED MARQUETRY Fine marquetry whose design resembles marine plant life.
SEGMENTAL CORNERS Panel corners interrupted by curved lines. Typical of the English Regency period.
SETTEE A lightly built forerunner of the modern sofa, a seat designed for two with side arms and back that came into popularity during the 17th century. Most often it is softly upholstered with fabric.
SINGERIE Decorative motif depicting monkeys in human costumes often in comical situations. Associated closely with Chinoiserie, it was popular during the Rococo period.
SLIP SEAT An upholstered wood frame that slips into the framework of a chair seat. It can be easily removed to change the covering.
SLIPPER CHAIR Any short-legged chair with its seating area close to the floor.
SPINDLE A thin turned member often tapered or molded but may also be of constant width or decoratively turned. Used in chair backs, grilles, etc.
SPINDLED The name given to turned uprights and stretchers carved in curving lines: some spindle shapes are narrow at each end and broader in the middle; others are slim in the middle and broader at each end.
SPIRAL TURNING Twisted turned member. Characteristic of chair and table legs of the 17th Century.
SPLAT The central, flat vertical support piece in a chair back between the seat and top-rail; it may be solid, pierced and carved in simple designs or in a specific design such as the Ribband Back, the Lyre Back, etc.
SPLAY Spreading outward, as with chair legs.
SPLIT SPINDLE A spindle cut in half lengthwise. Used as a surface decoration or used in chair backs with the flat side inside.
SPRING CHAIR A chair with metal coil springs, made to rock and/or revolve. Patented by the American Chair Company of Troy, New York and first shown at the Crystal Palace Great Exhibition in London in 1851; also called centripetal chair.
SPRING EDGE Upholstered edge supported by springs rather than by the hardwood frame.
SPUR STRETCHER See Crinoline Stretcher.
SQUAB CUSHION A thickly stuffed, soft cushion.
STACKBACK The area of the wall where drapery comes to rest when it is opened and the window is exposed. Draperies are sometimes installed so that the stack back clears the window frame, allowing an unobstructed view. Also called stacking space.
STAINING A method of finishing furniture by applying colored dyes that penetrate the wood.
STAND Any small table used for holding or displaying objects (e.g., shaving stands, candle stands, etc.).
STANDARD 1) An adjustable or swinging mirror carried on uprights. 2) A frame that carries a table or case piece.
STEP TABLE A two tiered rectangular occasional table resembling a pair of steps.
STEPPED CURVE A curve whose line is interrupted by right angles.
STILE 1) Outside vertical member of a cabinet or door which frames a panel. 2) The upright side supports of a chair back. 3) Upright supporting post on a piece of furniture.
STOOL An armless, backless seat.
STOPPED CHANNEL FLUTING Fluting in which the lower third is filled with a reed like rounding, sometimes carved like beads.
STRAIGHT PEDIMENT Unbroken triangular or gable pediment of a cabinet or secretary.
STRAP HINGE Hinge with long leaves which resemble straps. Usually of iron and common in Gothic work.
STRAPWORK Originating in the sixteenth century in the Netherlands, this pattern of interlaced strap-like bands was extensively used in Northern European furniture in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; enjoyed a revival in the nineteenth century.
STRETCHER Horizontal strengthening or stabilizing crosspiece which runs between furniture legs, often forming X, H or Y shapes. A bar or beam under a chair or table, attached to the legs for strength. Some are plain, some shaped and carved.
STRINGING In furniture, a line or thin band of wood used as an inlay set in a contrasting ground.
STRIZ A streaked or striped effect produced with yarns of varying tones.
STUDS Large or fancy upholstery nails which are used as decoration instead of being hidden.
STUMP BEDSTEAD A bed that has neither canopy nor posts.
STYLE ETRUSQUE Neoclassical attempt to imitate the decoration on Etruscan vases with much use of contrasting encaustic color. Popular from 1760 and again in the 1840’s.
SUITE A set of matched furniture for a particular room, or a group of pieces in which a single design theme maintains.
SUNBURST Describes a grain pattern in which rays radiate from a central point.
SWAN-NECK See Gooseneck.
SWATCH A small sample of upholstery fabric, leather, etc.
SWELL FRONT See Also Bow Front.
SWING LEG Hinged leg that supports a drop leaf. Similar to a gate leg, but lacking the lower stretcher.
SWIVEL CHAIR A seat that revolves on a fixed frame. Used for desk chairs, dressing chairs, music stools, etc.racterized by high or low relief carving. See also Bas Relief, Haut Relief. Contrast Incised.
SEGMENTAL PEDIMENT Unbroken curved pediment. In late 18th and early 19th century France which had a delicate back resembling a bundle of rods or a sheaf of wheat spreading out in a fan shape. The seat was usually woven of straw.
SHELL MOTIF Various shell shaped ornaments are extremely widespread in a great many furniture styles. The scallop (cockleshell) form is probably most common, especially in Italian and Spanish Renaissance furniture. The Rococo style is nearly defined by the use of the shell ornament.
SHELL TOP Cupboard with a half dome top carved with ribs to resemble a shell.
SHELLAC A natural resin dissolved in alcohol, used for finishing furniture. The mixture dries quickly, after which it may be rubbed down to a fine satiny polish. Shellac finishes are easily damaged by moisture and heat. When padded instead of brushed on, produces the finish known as French Polish.
SHOE A metal cup terminal for a wooden leg, sometimes part of a caster.
SIDE CHAIR Small armless chair. The term generally refers to dining chairs other than the host and hostess chairs.
SIDE RAILS Long, narrow boards or rails that connect the head and footboards of beds.
SIDEBOARD Originally a dining room piece with open shelves (literally a side board or boards) eventually evolved into a unit with doors and/or drawers below and sometimes open shelving above for displaying plates, etc.
SINGERIE Decoration depicting monkeys (singes) in human costumes and often comical situations. Associated with Chinoiserie, it was popular during the Rococo period.
SINGLE CHAIR See Side Chair.
SKIRT Fabric applied along the bottom edge of upholstered furniture to hide the legs.
SLAT 1) A crosspiece supported on a bed frame’s side rails to carry the mattress.
2) A horizontal crossbar in a chair back that braces the uprights and supports the sitter's back.
SLANT FRONT Desk or secretary whose writing section is enclosed by a fall lid which slants back when closed; originally designed to rest a book or writing material upon. See also Drop Front, Fall Front.
SLIP SEAT A separate, removable upholstered seat, let into the framework of a chair seat. Also called a loose seat. Contrast Tight Seat.
SLIPPER CHAIR A low, armless upholstered chair designed for bedroom use. Sometimes trimmed with a skirt.
SLIPPER FOOT Flat, elongated foot which differs from the snake foot in that its end is more pointed. Often found on Queen Anne furniture.
SLUB A thick, uneven nub in yarn for a textured effect.
SOCLE Plain block used as a base for a case piece or as a pedestal of a statue.
SOFA Long upholstered seat for
two or more people. The name sopha is of Eastern origin and was first used in France about 1680 to designate a divan like seat.
SOFTWOOD A general term for the wood of trees that remain green all year.
SOLID When applied to wooden furniture, the term means lumber rather than veneered plywood; that is, solid pieces of the same wood, instead of veneer over a core of different, less interestingly grained, wood.
SPADE FOOT A rectangular, tapered foot popular on late 18th century furniture legs separated from the rest of the leg by a slight projection.
SPANISH FOOT Rectangular ribbed foot that widens at the base formed from a scroll turning backwards in a curve at the bottom. Popular in the late 17th and first half of the 18th century. Also called a knurl foot, Braganza foot, and, in America, a paintbrush foot.
SPATTERING A decorative painting technique produced by tapping or flicking a paintbrush heavily loaded with paint onto a plain surface.
SPELTER A common material made of zinc used for the production of 19th century urns and vases that were often painted to give the appearance of being bronze.
SPHINA Mythical winged monster, part human and part lion. Of Egyptian origin, the design appears in nearly all-classical schools of furniture.
T TABLE CHAIR Armchair or settle whose back is hinged and may be swung up over the arms to form a table.
TABOURET From tabour, a small drum. Low upholstered footstool, 18th century French.
TAILPIECE A tongue on the back of some Windsor chair seats, designed to hold two spindles that brace the bow.
TALLBOY Another term for a highboy or chest-on-chest. Called a chest-on-chest until the 18th century; this high chest of drawers has more drawers below than on top.
TAMBOUR A door made of thin, flexible strips of wood mounted to a canvas or other heavy fabric backing to form a flexible sheet that slides along a groove (either horizontally or vertically) used to conceal storage areas. An example is the lid of a bureau a cylindre.
TAPER Narrowing toward a point. Often seen in furniture legs.
TAPESTRY Flat woven fabric of wool and linen or silk with representational or abstract designs resembling needlepoint. Used as an upholstery cover.
TEARDROP MOTIF Ornamental motif in the shape of an elongated tear.
TENON Tongue or projecting part of a piece of material, such as wood, which is fitted into a corresponding hole or mortise.
TERM 1) Statue or bust representing the upper part of the body, usually without arms, terminating below in a pedestal or pillar which tapers towards the base. Also known as terminus or term. If load-bearing, also known as caryatid terminals. 2) A pedestal or pillar, often holding a bust or decorative figure, used as a decorative accent.
TESTER Covering (either wood or fabric) suspended over the top of a bed, known as a half-tester if supported only by headboard and footposts.
TETE-A-TETE French for "head to head." Small 19th Century two seat sofa or love seat in which the two seats face in opposite directions, forming an S-curve. See also Confident.
TEXTURE The feel and appearance of a surface; also refers to the grain of wood.
THERM Tapered, rectangular member, such as a foot or leg. See also Spade Foot.
THIMBLE FOOT A short tapering turned foot which vied for popularity with the Spade Foot, a rectangular version of the same idea used on straight, slender late-18th century table and chair legs.
THONET Bentwood furniture produced by a steam process developed by the German cabinetmaker Michael Thonet in 1835. The Thonet line is best known for its graceful curvilinear Art Nouveau designs produced at the turn of the nineteenth century and for its highly sophisticated Art Deco designs of the 1920s.
THUMB MOULDING Convex molding shaped in a flattened curve that resembles the profile of a thumb.
TIED STRETCHER An X-shaped stretcher form consisting of curvy stretcher rails running from table or chair legs to meet in the centre; a late 17th century feature.
TIGHT SEAT Upholstered furniture in which the seat springs are encased in fabric and a layer of padding added before being upholstered. Contrast Slip Seat.
TILL Drawer or compartment in desks, chests, etc. designed to hold small valuables. Often made with secret locks or springs.
TILT-TOP TABLE See Tip-Top.
TINT A color to which white has been added. A pastel.
TIP-TOP or SNAP-TOP A small form of pedestal table in which the top is hinged top so that may be tilted from a horizontal to a vertical position when not in use. Became popular on both sides of the Atlantic in the 18th century. In America, known as a tilt-top.
TOILETTINETTE A lady’s toilet table of the Victorian period.
TOLE French word for tin. It is usually decorated by means of japanning.
TONGUE-AND-GROOVE Another term for Mortise and Tenon. Straight or right-angled joint made by cutting a groove into one piece of wood into which fits the projecting groove from another. Used from the 19th century onwards.
TOOTH ORMA See Dentil.
TOP GRAIN The top layer of a hide. This is the highest quality part of a hide, and is used for the finest upholstery leather.
TOP-RAIL The uppermost horizontal rail on a chair-back.
TORCHERE Originally meant a pedestal or stand to hold a candelabrum. Now a type of floor lamp equipped with a decorative glass or metal reflector bowl designed to cast light upward which bounces off the ceiling for a soft, ambient glow.
TORTOISE SHELL The polished shell of tortoises (or, more often today, synthetic material designed to resemble polished shell). Often used for inlays or small-carved ornaments.
TORUS Like an astragal molding, only thicker, this form of molding is often used at the end of columns, frequently entwined with foliage. A bold, doughnut shaped molding, sometimes flattened.
TOW Flax fiber used as upholstery stuffing.
TRANSITIONAL Design that blends influences from various style categories.
TREFOIL Ornament characteristic of Gothic work in the shape of three symmetrical leaves usually inscribed within a circle. A quatrefoil has four leaves, a cinquefoil five. Commonly used in the 19th century Gothic revival.
TRESTLE TABLE A table composed of a long, oblong board, originally supported by a trestle or sawhorse, but now supported by posts and feet. Originally, all tables were merely loose boards placed upon trestles or sawhorses. The trestle form (as distinguished from the four legged or pedestal table) has survived, and now appears as a long, narrow table with two T-shaped uprights joined by a single stretcher. Often used in country style decor.
TRICLINIUM A couch or sofa derived from the Roman banquet couch. Greek Revival examples sometimes have rolled ends of unequal height and saber legs.
TRIM Decorative cording, braids, or fringes applied to the edges or hems of draperies, to match or contrast the panel fabric.
TRIPOD TABLE A small table mounted on a pedestal that terminates in three outward flaring legs.
TROMPE l’OEIL Idiomatic French term meaning literally "tricks the eye." A type of decoration borrowed by the French from the Greeks during the 17th century. Objects or decorations painted in perspective with natural shadows designed to ‘deceive the eye’ into believing they are real, i.e., three-dimensional.
TRUMEAU The decorative treatment of the space over a mantel, door, or window consisting of a mirror or painting. Specifically, the over mantel panel treatment of the Louis XV and Louis XVI periods. Translated as "arched glass" a trumeau mirror is one set within a decorative painted panel.
TRUMPET LEG A conical shaped leg turned with a flared end and shaped like a trumpet.
TRUSS Ornamental brace or bracket.
TUFTING Anchoring the cover of upholstered furniture or mattresses by sewing through the filler. Often buttons are stitched on and arranged to form a pattern such as biscuit tufting (rows of squares) or diamond tufting (staggered rows which form an overall diamond pattern).
TULIP Ornament in the shape of a conventionalized tulip flower and leaf.
TUMBLING A process in which leather hides are massaged by being tumbled in a rotating steel drum, which softens the texture and enhances the grain. Also called Milling.
TURNER A person who forms articles with a lathe.
TURNING 1) Method of shaping wood by revolving it on a lathe. Turning is one of the most ancient wood working processes, dating back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians whose lathes were operated by a bowstring. All periods have employed turning, especially on the legs of tables. The design of the turning is often the key to the period to which the furniture belongs. 2) An ornamental decoration or structural part of furniture produced by rotating or turning a cylindrical piece of wood on a lathe and shaping it with cutting tools to form twisted or bulbous designs. Different types of turnings are created by altering the pressure of the lathe.
TUSCAN A simplified form of Doric column, established by the 16th Century Italians. A Doric column is unfluted and has an unadorned capital.
TUXEDO A type of sofa with rectangular side panels or arms that are the same height as the back.
TWIST Spiral or screw shaped turning.
TWIST-TURN A term used to describe an upright or leg turned in a spiral form, like a piece of barley-sugar.
GLOSSARY A - F GLOSSARY G - M GLOSSARY U - Z
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