Abacus
Antique Dealers: Antique Glossary
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A -
Acanthus - Ornament based on the leaves of the acanthus
plant. It became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Apron - Horizontal piece of wood below a seat, tabletop,
or case piece. (skirt)
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B -
Ball and claw foot - A ball foot with a claw grabbing
it. Good form.
Baluster - A turned vertical post or upright support,
resembling a column. (banister)
Banister back chair - A chair with a back made of
turned upright banisters usually topped by a crest
rail and supported by a lower cross rail above the
seat.
Baroque - 17th century European design that stressed
exaggerated and brilliant form. Influenced William
and Mary and Queen anne styles.
Bat wing - 18th century hardware that resembled a
bat’s wing.
Bird-cage - Supporting section of a tilt-top table
made up of 2 blocks with columns between the top and
base that allow the top to tilt and pivot.
Block-front - The three section front of a case piece.
Center section is concave and the outside sections
are convex.
Bombe - Rounded case pieces with bulging sides.
Bonnet top - A pediment that covers the top of a case
piece.
Boullework - Elaborate inlay of wood or other materials
used to embellish the surface. Often brass.
Bun foot - A round foot that is slightly squashed.
Butterfly table - A drop leaf table with winged brackets
that support the leaves
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C -
Cabriole leg - A leg with a outcurved knee and an
incurved ankle.
Case pieces - A piece of furniture with storage space.
Chest-on-chest - A case piece with a chest placed
on top of another chest to form one unit.
Chinoiserie - Raised - painted decoration of oriental
design adorning furniture.
Chippendale - A period of furniture 1754-1790. Based
on the designs of Thomas Chippendale.
Commode - A low chest of drawers based on French form.
Corner chair - A chair with offset legs that fits
in a corner. (roundabout)
Cornice - Decorative molding on the top of a case
piece.
Cornucopia - A horn shaped container with fruit and
or flowers in it. Often on Empire and Victorian furniture.
Crest rail - The top horizontal rail on chairs and
sofas.
Cupboard - A case piece for storing various items.
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D -
Dental molding - Decorative trim in alternating rectangles
and spaces.
Dovetail - Method of connecting parts of furniture
with interlocking flared tenons that resemble a dove’s
tail.
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E -
Easy chair - A wing chair.
Empire - The furniture period 1810-1840.
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F -
Federal - The furniture made from the early 19th century
and coinciding with the formation of the federal government.
Finial - A turned or carved ornament used to embellish
furniture.
Fluting - Parallel concave channels used as a decorating
device. If the channels are convex, it’s called
reeding.
Fretwork - Decorative trim of open cut patterns formed
by the fret saw or carved.
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G -
Gate-leg table - A drop-leaf table on which the legs
are connected by stretchers. The legs act as swinging
gates and extend to support the top. The same without
stretchers are called swing leg tables.
Gothic - A style with pointed arches and foils. often
mixed with Chinese and Rococo elements.
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H -
High chest - A tall chest of drawers or a highboy.
Huntboard -
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I -
Inlay - A decorative treatment set into the surface
of the wood that uses wood or other materials to form
bands of color (string) pictorial images (marquetry)
or geometric shapes (parquetry).
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J -
Japanning - The western practice of imitating Oriental
lacquerwork. A wood base is covered with paint, and
designs are built up with gesso and guilded or silvered.
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K -
Kas - A large wardrobe with heavy panels. Usually
somewhat squatter than a wardrobe.
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L -
Lolling chair - An arm chair with a high upholstered
back and seat and open arms. (Martha Washington chair)
Lowboy - A low case piece on high legs.
Lyre - A stringed instrument used as design on Empire
pieces.
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M -
Marlborough leg - A straight square leg ending in
a block foot.
Mortise and tenon - A system of joinery that fitted
a tenon from one piece of wood into a mortise (rectangular
hole) on another piece. Usually secured with a round
peg.
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N -
Nest of tables - A group of tables that stack largest
on top to smallest on bottom.
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O -
Ogee - An S shaped molding.
Ormolu - Bronze or brass decorative mounts covered
in gilt used to decorate furniture, mostly in the
Empire and Victorian periods.
Oxbow front - The reverse of a serpentine front.
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P -
Pad foot - An oval foot, usually with a pad on the
bottom.
Patina - The color brought on by years of dirt, wax,
and oxidation on a piece of antique wood.
Paw foot - A foot carved to represent an animals claw.
Pedestal table - A table with a columnar base.
Pediment - The crowning top of bookcases or chests.
Pembroke table - A small drop leaf with the leaves
longer that the top. Good form.
Piecrust table - A table with a circular top and scalloped
edges in the shape of a piecrust.
Pier table - A table built to stand against a wall,
usually with a mirror at the bottom.
Pilgrim - Furniture built in the 17th century.
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Q -
Queen Anne - A period of furniture 1725-1755
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R -
Rail - A horizontal piece of wood that joins two vertical
pieces.
Reeding - The opposite of fluting.
Ribbon back - A splat that resembles gathered ribbons
on a chair back.
Rococo - A style of furniture composed of lively free
form organic ornament and curvilinear form.
Rose-head nails - Hand forged nails made in the 18th
century. The heads somewhat resemble roses.
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S -
Saber leg - A leg that curves inward to form an S
shape.
Scroll foot - A foot shaped like a rolled up scroll.
Serpentine - A double curve. Opposite of oxbow.
Settee - A small sofa with a back and arms.
Shield back - The back of a Sheraton or Hepplewaite
chair in the shape of a shield.
Sideboard - A low wide chest of drawers and compartments
used in a dining room. Generally starting with the
Federal period. In the Victorian period, they often
had large mirrors and shelves on top.
