Rococo

Rococo is an artistic movement in French design originating in the 18th century after Baroque. It is notable for asymetrical styles and tended to be over-ornamented. The name is derived from the French words rocaille and coquille rock and shell, both prominent motifs in this decoration.

Secretary desk

This furniture form can take on many styles, but generally consists of a writing desk with sets of drawers. Originally in the 18th Century, secretary desks in France were tall casepiece furniture with drawers at the bottom, a bookcase on top, and a desk with a drop-lid in the center. The style evolved in the 19th Century. Secretary desks were lighter with the lower compartment generally forgoing cabinets and taking on an appearance of a table, while the upper portion generally had a set of concealed drawers. These alterations in style made secretary desks in the 19th Century more commonplace in dressing rooms rather than libraries and were frequently decorated with ornate feminine mounting and considered luxury objects.

Breakfront

A piece of furniture, typically a case piece such as a bookcase or cabinet, with a central section that projects further out than the rest of the piece.

Burl

Burl is a type of wood that comes from an irregular growth on a tree. Burl wood is usually cut in a thin veneer form to show its exquisite detail. Burl wood is most common in walnut, elm and yew. Burl wood has been used to decorate furniture for centuries and was highly popular during the Biedermeier period.

Veneer

A wood finishing technique in which thin sheet of fine wood is applied to a the surface of a coarser wood or other structural material for decoration. Veneer is used to give furniture pieces a finer, more pleasing appearance. It was first used in ancient Egypt, classical Greece, and Rome, but did not appear again until the 17th Century in the Netherlands.