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Home > Glossary of Decorative Arts
A stylized leaf first used in classic Greek and Roman architecture and decoration. A characteristic of the Corinthian capital.
Robert 1728-1792 and James 1730-1794 were English architects, influenced by the excavations at Pompeii in the 18th century.Characteristics of their style are straight lines, mythological figures, delicate ornaments, classical symmetry, satinwood, marquetry, and inlay.
A fine-grained stone with a smooth milk-white surface. Slightly translucent.
An imported hardwood from the Dutch East Indies possessing a yellow-red color. Used chiefly as an inlay.
A large, two-handled earthenware vessel with a narrow neck and usually an ovoid body, originally used in Greece for the storage of grain. Later adopted as a Neoclassical decorative motif
Functional supports of cast iron or brass used in open fireplaces to hold logs.
Decorative motif of Greek origin, the radiating pattern resembles the honeysuckle flower or palm leaf.
A work of art, a piece of furniture, or any other decorative object which, according to United States law, must be at least 100 years old. The value of an antique depends upon its authenticity, beauty, age, rarity and condition.
Cylindrical or oval shaped covered jars of either glass or china, designed for the storage of medicinal herbs. Some are presently converted to lamp bases or used as ornaments. Also called pharmacy jars.
A furniture foot cut to imitate a talon or claw grasping a ball. Of Chinese origin, the motif was greatly used in English 18th-century furniture.
Turned vase-shaped vertical post supporting the rail of a staircase or the splat of a chair.
Strip of veneer used as a border for table tops, drawer fronts, etc.
A late 17th-century American chair with the back consisting of perpendicular turned spindles.
A type of wooden wall case in the shape of a banjo originated in 1800 by Simon Willard at Roxbury, Mass. The lower glass panel of the early models was left plain to show the swinging brass pendulum until around 1825 when they were painted with battle scenes, landscapes, eagles, flags, etc.
A style of architecture, art and decoration which originated in Italy during the late 16th century and spread throughout Europe. It is characterized by overscaled, bold details and sweeping curves.
Dark, opaque porcelain invented by Josiah Wedgwood.
A type of tapestry originally made at Beauvais, France. Subjects depicted are usually flowers, fruit, landscapes, and pastorals.
A hardwood which lacks a pronounced grain.
A furniture leg with a double curve. A stylized form of animal hind leg with elongated "S" shape. Popular in late 18th-century and 19th-century Europe.
A French term used to identify a decorative china or metal jardiniere designed to hold a small potted plant or cut flowers.
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.
The lower portion of a wall, when treated differently from the surface above it. It is often paneled or ornamented. A low wainscot.
A linen, cotton, rayon, or silk fabric with a reversible jacquard weave and a lustrous surface.
Type of chair popular in the Italian Renaissance period with heavy curved arms and legs, usually having a leather or cloth back and seat.
A period in the design of American furniture during the 17th and early 18th centuries. The designs were simple and rugged generally made of solid wood, especially pine, maple, birch, and oak. The furniture was copied largely from English Jacobean and William and Mary styles.
Pottery made from simple clay mixtures, fired or baked under relatively low heat. It is quite porous, non-translucent and soft.
A decorative motif of classical origin consisting of ovoid or egg shapes alternating with dart-like points.
Richly decorated and colorful pottery produced first in Faenza, Italy and at Rouen, France about 1644. Small flowers, cornucopias and arrows are typical motifs done in blue, green, and yellow on a cream-white background.
Unusual and exotic furnishings produced throughout Europe, America, and the Far East during the 19th and 20th centuries. Furniture and objects are whimsical, fantastical creations, transformed far beyond mere practicality and decorated to please the eccentric tastes of their designers and commissioners.
French open-armed chair with upholstered seat and back.
Relief pattern consisting of a series of parallel, convex lobes projecting beyond the surface, or inverted fluting. Popular in late 17th-century England and 18th-century America.
The ornamental metal or wood railing around the edge of a table or desk.
A table with two drop leaves, one on either side. When raised they are supported by legs which swing out like gates from the center.
A type of Early American New England-made chest which stood on four feet and usually had only one drawer, and was decorated with crude incised carving.
The mark or marks designating that a piece of metalwork has received an official approval of quality. Usually given by Goldsmith's Hall, London.
A tightly stuffed, upholstered cushion used as a footstool or seat.
Portrait or image. In the Greek and Russian church it refers to the panels containing portraits or figures of sacred personages, as the Virgin, and the various saints.
A pattern or carving produced by cutting into a stone, wood, or other hard surface. The reverse of relief carving.
Form of decoration which involves cutting small pieces of ivory, precious metals, mother-of-pearl, or wood which are then fitted into carved-out recesses of the same shape on a solid piece of furniture to create a picture or geometric design. Differs from marquetry which uses applied veneers.
Incised or sunk decoration.
Elaborate pictorial marquetry or inlaid paneling, used in Renaissance Italy and also 16th-century Germany.
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.
Type of weave done on a loom invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801, making possible a variety of intricate patterns. Damasks, brocades, and tapestries can be woven on jacquard looms.
A process much used in the 18th century by which furniture and metalwork were enameled with colored shellac and the decoration raised and painted with gold and other colors.
A French term used to identify a decorative china or metal cache pot designed to hold a small potted plant or cut flowers.
A name given by Wedgwood to a type of dull, white biscuit that can be colored and decorated. Introduced in the late 18th century.
The craft of assembling woodwork by means of mortise and tenon, dovetail, tongue and groove, dowels, etc.
A Brazilian wood, also called violet wood from the color of its markings, used in fine cabinetwork.
Classical Greek chair with sabre legs, the front ones curving forwards and the back ones backwards. The chair-back has a concave top-rail attached to verticals.
Desk with a solid lower portion but with an opening for the knees of a person seated at it.
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.
An arm or side chair having a back composed of several horizontal slats in a ladder-like fashion. Common in early American furniture.
A luminous, transparent glass introduced in the early 20th century by René Lalique of France. Most of his designs have a sculptural quality achieved by pressing and alternating a dull with a polished surface.
An openwork criss-cross pattern.
A washstand or washbowl, often with a fountain or water supply.
Straight-grained hard wood with silky texture, ranging in color from salmon-pink through bright red and when newly cut, changes to a golden or deep brown red.
Robert 1728-1792 and James 1730-1794 were English architects, influenced by the excavations at Pompeii in the 18th Italian and Spanish pottery coated with a tin enamel and painted with bright colors.
The projecting shelf surmounting a fireplace.
Light reddish-brown wood with uniform texture. Grain is usually straight except when different veneers are used.
A heavy, straight-grooved furniture leg used in later work by Chippendale and in mid 18th-century American mahogany furniture.
Refers to the second revival of classic design for interior decoration in the 18th century.
Group of tables, usually three, constructed so that one fits under the other.
A heavy post placed at the end of the handrail at the bottom of a stairway.
A recessed or hollow space in a wall, intended to hold a statue or ornament.
Wood varies from light tan to deep leathery brown with black spots. Variations due to differences in climate and soil.
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.
Generic term for decorative, small tables such as end tables, coffee tables, lamp tables, etc.
French term for a type of cast bronze ornament, finished by hand-chasing and surfaced with gold. Also known as gilt-bronze or bronze doré. Often used to refer to bronze furniture mounts enhanced by gilding.
A low, upholstered seat without back or arms. Sometimes used as a foot-rest.
Club foot resting on an integral disc.
In China and Japan, a tower, usually having several stories, built in connection with a temple or monastery.
Fan-shaped pattern derived from the shape of a palm-tree leaf. Neo-classical motif.
Technique using sand, chalk, and paper pulp molded while wet into decorative forms and furniture. Popular in 19th-century Europe and America.
Inlay of geometric design, used for decorative flooring.
A period in English furniture design from 1702-1714, characterized by an adaptation of Baroque and the extensive use of the cabriole leg. Walnut was the dominant wood.
A climbing palm, remarkable for the great length attained by its stems. Commonly used for wickerwork, seats of chairs, walking sticks, etc.
A long chair designed for relaxing and semi-reclining, usually upholstered. Adapted from the French 18th-century style, it is also called a chaise longue.
A long and narrow table having stretchers close to the floor.
Transitional period in French furniture design between Louis XIV and the Rococo style developed by Louis XV. Named for the time frame in France from 1715-1728 when Philip, Duke of Orleans, reigned. Characteristics are graceful curves, the cabriole leg, and ornamentation copied from nature rather than mythology. Bright veneers of rosewood and satinwood were widely used.
Period of severe neoclassicism from 1810-1820 influenced by the French Empire.
Shaped like a sabre, 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.
Complete set of matched furniture for a specific room. Also called a suite.
An urn with a spigot at its base used especially in Russia to boil water for tea.
A piece of needlework intended to show a beginner's skill. Alphabets and naïve patterns were worked in cross-stitch on a net canvas or cloth background. Popular in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and America.
A rectangular, coffin-shaped box tapering to a smaller size at the bottom. Can be used as a cellaret or tea caddy.
Called a chest-on-chest until the 18th century, this high chest-of-drawers has more drawers below than on top.
Type of desk design introduced during the Louis XV period having a low secretary top with sliding door panels made of thin strips of wood.
Wood from Burma, Java, the East Indies, Siam, French Indochina, and has been planted successfully in the Philippines. A strong, tough wood, it ranges in color from light tawny yellow to dark brown. Slightly oily.
Hard-baked pottery used in decorative arts and as a building material, usually of a red-brown clay, but may be colored with paint or baked glaze.
Wooden or fabric canopy which projects over the top of a four-poster bed.
A term used to define a pattern applied to pottery before the final glazing is applied.
A horizontal feature used as the heading of overdraperies and made of textile, wood, metal, or other material.
Spanish writing and storage desk dating from the 16th century, consisting of a square or rectangular top, the flap-front of which conceals drawers. When opened, the flap-top rests on lopers to form a writing surface. The whole piece is supported by an open or cupboard-like stand.
Furniture-making technique which consists of affixing a thin layer or strips of fine wood to the surface of a piece of furniture, usually of a coarser material. First used in ancient Egypt, and then in Classical Greece and Rome, but not again until the 17th century in The Netherlands.
Name applied to the extravagantly curved and ornamented furniture of Baroque and Rococo influence, produced in Italy during the late Renaissance.
A sophisticated japanning technique developed by the Martin brothers in France c.1730. This form of reproducing the effect of Oriental lacquer reached the height of its popularity in mid 18th-century France.
Technique widely used at the turn of the 18th century to produce highly decorative mirrors. Gold or silver was applied to the mirror back and engraved with a needle before placing black or another contrasting color behind the foil. This was then enclosed with a second layer of glass or a coating of varnish.
Period in English furniture during the reign of Queen Victoria 1837-1901. Consists of a resurrection of many previous periods: Gothic, Turkish, and Louis XV.
Repeating pattern resembling a series of C-scrolls or waves. Of classical origin, it was commonly used on 18th-century furniture.
Jacobean or Early American chair made completely of wood, usually oak, with a high, carved panel-design back.
Wood is of a chocolate-brown color, firm and even-textured. A popular cabinet wood for both lumber and veneer.
English pottery ware with a hard texture, first produced by Josiah Wedgwood 1730-1795. He used antique pottery as his model and is famous for cream-colored earthenware, decorative objects of a black composition known as Egyptian or jasper ware, and terra cotta.
Piece of furniture with several shelves for bric-a-brac, figurines, etc. Introduced during the Victorian period in America.
A small, pliant twig or rod for plaiting basketwork.
Period of English furniture from 1688 to 1702. The Dutch Baroque influence is present in the designs and the predominant wood is walnut. Such ornamentations as the cabriole leg, the cup and bun turning, and seaweed marquetry are widely used.
Type of chair, usually of walnut or birch, originating in England in the 18th century. May have a variety of back designs, such as a fan back, a hoop back, a comb back. Usually with a scooped or shaped wood seat. The legs are pegged into the sides rather than covered with an apron.
Chair with side pieces shaped like wings, which jut from each side of the top of the armchair back. Originally used to block drafts.
An X-shaped, often folding, structure was used to support this type of chair or stool. Known to have existed in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, this chair enjoyed a medieval revival and was a popular prototype during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Wood ranging in color from bright tan to red-brown but usually a uniformly warm brown upon exposure. The grain is rarely straight.
A cross-bar in the form of two S-curves used for the top rail of chair backs. Typical of Georgian furniture.
A popular name for a type of Jacobean chair of provincial origin.
First produced in Hungary in 1853 at a factory in Pecs, this type of pottery reached its height during the Art Nouveau period. It is identified by its iridescent glaze and frost-resistant building decorations.
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